


Everything I Ever Thought

by P3rv3S1tt3r



Series: Sanders Sides the Series [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dark Magic, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Knight Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, M/M, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Snake Deceit Sanders, Virgil has powers, and ptsd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2020-12-28 22:06:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 38,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21143969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/P3rv3S1tt3r/pseuds/P3rv3S1tt3r
Summary: This is very loosely based off of Tangled the Series, and focuses on Virgil, a mysterious lad who possesses a strange and dark power. He unknowingly saves the lives of Crown Prince Thomas and his friend Patton which opens up new opportunities that Virgil could have only imagined.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Warning! This prologue contains a very possessive Roman...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil remembers how Thomas screamed when Roman tortured him...the blood, the raw agony and pain. Virgil had traded his freedom for Thomas's life. A bargain he never regretted.
> 
> "I love you."
> 
> Roman moved his hand to Virgil's cheek and went to kiss him, but Virgil's mind goes back to when Roman said those words to him sweetly as Thomas cried. Virgil dodged the kiss and Roman growled in annoyance and his grip became tighter on Virgil's arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not your average Ready As I'll Ever Be inspired Sanders Sides fan fiction. This is a dark and sad story. Will it ever get better?

_Virgil Conners gasped as woke up from another nightmare. Virgil rubbed his eyes and calmed himself down, reassuring himself that it was just a dream. Virgil tossed off the covers and walked around his dimly lit room. _

_ As Virgil calmed himself down, he remembered where he was. He was in King Thomas's castle, a place where he had always felt safe and protected. Virgil had come here when he was fourteen and when Thomas decided to bring him to the castle to get him off of the streets and introduce him to Roman, Logan, and Patton, all of whom Virgil considered family. Virgil has many happy memories here, Logan and Patton's wedding, Thomas's coronation, and his first kiss happened in a reclusive corner of the gardens, which was his favorite spot._

_ Virgil gets dressed in his normal black and purple attire: a black patched purple cloak, black tunic and breeches, and boots. Virgil puts on a scarf, despite that it’s a warm day and heads out to the gardens, ducking the guards as he passes. Virgil rubs his wrists nervously but makes his way to the gardens. Virgil opens the gate and walks to the very back of the gardens, to a towering oak tree, where he had carved his initials with-_

BANG!

_ Virgil hides behind the tree when he sees four guards burst into the gardens, all with roses pinned on their armor. Virgil suppresses a groan of annoyance, he should have known this would have happened. _

_ "Find him the King wants him back in his chambers!" a guard declared to his comrades._

_ "Yes sir!" they responded._

_ Sadly reminiscing, Virgil traces over the pair of initials and the heart that protects them before walking into the line of sight of the guards. They walk over to him and escort him to his room again._

_“The King will be with you shortly,” the head guard informed in a monotone._

_Virgil doesn’t respond but mentally corrects him. The new King, the one who had taken over the Sanders Kingdom. Virgil sits on the bed and waits. Why he was trapped here was all because of him, this new king and-_

_“Virgil?” Roman asks, opening the door and stepping inside._

_ Roman smiles at Virgil who was hunches over on his bed, shrinking from Roman. The new King. The King of the Black Rose._

_ "Hello darling," Roman greeted, kissing Virgil on the cheek. "Apologies for being late. I had to deal with some of those rebels."_

_ "What did you do?" Virgil asked softly as Roman sat down next to him. _

_ "They are being punished in the dungeon as we speak," Roman answered with a satisfied smirk._

_ Virgil didn't reply and tensed as Roman wrapped a strong arm around him. That could mean so many things now and Virgil knew better than to ask._

_ Usually when Virgil was stressed and with Roman, Virgil would usually lay his head on Roman's red sash, but now it was wrapped around Virgil's neck and Roman was wearing all black. His cloak trailed behind him, the material absorbing the shadows around him. _

_ Just like the cloak _he_ wore when Virgil was with _him_ Virgil realizes, scared. Virgil remembers his old mentor, captor, and his palace of cold and darkness, how possessive he could be. Deceit, the infamous dark mage, would wear a black cloak which turned into shadows and Virgil remembers being held by Deceit._

_ _ You're always going to be mine Virgil, _ Deceit hisses in his mind. _

_ No. No. NO! _

_ "Verge?" Roman asked, worried. "Are you all right my darling?"_

_ Virgil didn't even noticed that he was hyperventilating. Virgil squared his shoulders and looked at his friend._

_ "I'm fine," Virgil lied._

_Roman frowned._

_ "No, you're not. What is it? Did someone hurt you?"_

_ "No!"_

_ Virgil is quick to reassure Roman, mostly because he's afraid of what would happen if he says yes and if he names the person in question._

_ "Is it the rebels? I'll find them. I'll find Logan, Patton, and that thief Thomas," Roman vowed._

_Not this again. Whenever there was trouble between them, Roman was quick to blame their problems on the outside world or their friends._

_ "Leave them out of this!" Virgil begged._

_ "They are trying to take my kingdom away!" Roman protested._

_ "It's-"_

_ "They're trying to take you away. Thomas tried that once didn't he and he failed! You think they would learn!"_

_ Virgil freezes. While Thomas did try to court him, Virgil had turned him down for Roman. Though Roman only saw Thomas's advances towards Virgil. Virgil remembers how Thomas screamed when Roman tortured him...the blood, the raw agony and pain with each stab of Roman’s dagger. In that instant Virgil had traded his freedom for Thomas's life. A bargain he never regretted even now as he was locked up, chained to this monster._

_ "I love you,” Roman whispered._

_ Roman moved his hand to Virgil's cheek and went to kiss him, and Virgil's mind goes back to when Roman said those words to him sweetly and softly as Thomas cried, Roman’s arm around Virgil. The kiss Roman had given him with blood all over him, innocent blood, _Thomas’s_ blood. The kiss had made Virgil gag, but Virgil has made that deal anyway. He’d only kissed Roman to seal the deal he had made. Virgil wasn’t going to play Roman’s sick games._

_Scowling, Virgil dodged the kiss and Roman growled in annoyance and his grip became tighter on Virgil's arm._

_ "Leave me alone," Virgil snapped, wrenching Roman's arm off of him, standing up. _

_ "I'm not going anywhere Virgil!" Roman exclaims, forcing Virgil to sit in his lap. “And neither are you!”_

_ "Let go!" Virgil growls, his voice getting unusually deep._

_ "Never again."_

_ Virgil squirmed and pulled at Roman's arms. Roman growled a warning, causing Virgil to still his struggles._

_Now Roman's strong arms had wrapped around Virgil, securing his place on his lap. Virgil ducked his head away from Roman's crown of black roses. He had seen what happened when people got pricked by the thorns...they turned into Roman's mindless, perfect slave. _

_ "I don't think so Virgil dearest," Roman laughed coldly as Virgil squirmed, trying to break free of his captor's grip._

_ Roman swoops in for a kiss and places his hand on the back of Virgil's neck, and Virgil makes a muffled sound of surprise and annoyance. Virgil bites Roman’s tongue when it tries to push its way into his mouth. Virgil takes Roman’s moment of pain to stand up and put distance between them._

_“Fuck!” Roman swears, holding his mouth._

_Faster than Virgil could blink, Roman backs him up against the wall, eyes blazing with anger._

_ "I could prick you with one of my roses. Then you'd be so pliant and obedient-" Roman smirks at the thought._

_ "N-no! Don't!" Virgil screamed, as Roman angled his head towards Virgil's cheek, the thorns of the roses ready to prick his skin._

_Roman laughs darkly._

_ "Don't worry Vergie I won't do that. Not unless you give me a very good reason to," Roman whispered, calming his love down and taking the thorns away._

_ "Please Roman, just let me go," Virgil begged into Roman's chest._

_ "Darling, you know I can't do that. Not after you traded places with Thomas just to be with me-" Roman crooned._

_ Virgil curses mentally. He knew Roman was going to bring that up sooner or later-_

_ "-your king and more importantly, your husband!" _

_ "What?" Virgil yelped._

_ Virgil stares at Roman in shock. Roman doesn't think Virgil would be with him, does he?_

_ "Of course. Silly me, getting ahead of myself here," Roman laughed, kissing Virgil's cheek._

_ Roman goes down, taking Virgil by the hands. Oh god...no. This isn't happening. Not like this, he thinks as he's positioned by Roman._

_ Virgil's fears are confirmed when Roman gets down on one knee and presents him with a band of gold. A ring that matches the one on Roman's left ring finger._

_ "Virgil Conner, will you marry me?" Roman asks, smiling._

_ Virgil knows there is only one right answer. He can practically hear Patton's squeals of joy and seeing him putting a hand over Logan's mouth to keep him from "ruining their special moment." _

_ Virgil knows what he has to say-_

_ "Never!"_

_ The word is ripped out of his mouth before he can think about what he is saying. Virgil looks at Roman who is now standing._

_ "I will never marry you as long as you are under the influence of dark magic and you have that crown of roses on your head! If you were really Roman, you wouldn't-!" Virgil began._

_ Silence grips the room as Virgil flatters as Roman stands, towering over Virgil. Virgil wants to say yes to Roman. The real Roman, not this twisted version of the man he loves._

_ "I _am_ Roman. And I wouldn't what? Claim what's mine? This kingdom, this crown, you? As for dark magic, isn't that what you have my love?" Roman asks innocently, circling Virgil._

_ Virgil feels like he's been slapped. Roman had placed magic cuffs on Virgil's wrists so Virgil wouldn't use his powers against him. Not that Virgil would, he hates talking about and using his magic because it made people worried and scared and because it brings up all of the painful memories-_

_ "And as long as I have this 'crown of roses' on my head? I'm guessing you would prefer me in a king's crown?" Roman snapped, gripping Virgil's hand and running up the stairs._

_ Virgil knows where they are heading. Virgil looks at the guards and servants who are paying them no attention, as if this is completely normal. Roman bangs the door open to the Throne Room, which gets Virgil out of his thoughts. On the left side are a large set of crowns but there is only one that Roman wants._

_ "Roman, no!" Virgil begs as he's dragged to the extravagant glass case where the King's crown is, where _Thomas's_ crown is. For once Virgil wishes he could use his powers on Roman to get him to stop._

_ "You want a king?" Roman whispered softly in Virgil's ear, causing goosebumps to appear, and takes out the King's Crown._

_ The crown is beautiful, golden with rubies set into it, and Virgil can't deny that Roman would look exactly like a king if he put it on. Roman releases Virgil and grabs the crown-_

_ "Then darling-" he begins._

_ "Roman, I'm begging you, please don't do this! You'll make this worse!"_

_ "-wish granted," Roman finishes, placing the crown in his chocolate brown hair._

_ Virgil watches in horror as the roses cling onto the crown, the thorns clinging onto the metal like ivy, pointing upward so they won't prick anyone, and as Roman laughs triumphantly. Roman's eyes flash yellow for a moment and Virgil gasps._

_ "No! You didn't!" Virgil whispered, watching as Roman's eyes go back to their normal color._

_ "Oh but I did!" Roman exclaims, thinking Virgil is talking about the crown. "You wanted a king, well you got one baby. And it's not that weakling Thomas, it's me! You're mine!"_

_ "No!" Virgil sobs, wrenching away from Roman, hugging himself._

_ Virgil's absolute worse fear about what had changed Roman is confirmed._

_How did Deceit manage to get his fangs into Roman?_

_Then Virgil remembers Roman's quest to defeat the Dragon-Witch a few months ago...when he had returned with a large bouquet of fresh roses that he passed around. But he never gave one to Virgil, Patton, Logan, or Thomas, which piqued Virgil's curiosity. Before Virgil could get into his investigation, Roman had taken over the kingdom and captured and tortured Thomas._

_ Roman's eyes soften as he looks at Virgil. They had been through so much the past week. Roman had shown his love multiple times, only for Virgil to scoff at his advances. Like right now. Roman knows Virgil wants this, wants him! He's still attached to Thomas._

_ Roman growls at the thought of that cheat! Thomas was a terrible king and friend. But the worse thing Thomas tried to do (emphasis on tried), was courting Virgil!_

_ Thomas knew Roman had feelings towards the reclusive warlock, but had decided to continue his advances on his Virgil! _

_ Roman stalks over to Virgil, and Virgil backs up against the wall. Roman grabs Virgil by the waist, ignoring his pleas to be let go. Instead, Roman kisses Virgil like a prince would to his princess, deeply and romantically. To Roman's surprise and delight, Virgil returns the kiss._

_ Virgil wants to throw up as he reluctantly returns the kiss. Even as the kiss becomes deeper. Roman is tugging at Virgil's lower lip with his teeth, asking for access. Hesitantly, Virgil opens his mouth and Roman stakes his claim on Virgil. Roman's tongue explores Virgil's mouth and Roman is making contented noises. _

_ He wants to fight the kiss especially when Roman's hands rest on his hips, fingertips heading southward but he's afraid of what Roman would do. Kissing Roman would usually cause Virgil to be over the moon with happiness, is filling him with terror. Virgil makes a sound of surprise when Roman moves._

_ Roman, still with his lips on Virgil's, picks Virgil up and carries him to the throne. Roman sits with Virgil on his lap once again. Virgil pushes back for air, taking a shuddering breath._

_ "Ssh, everything is going to be perfect," Roman soothed in Virgil's ear, moving the hair out of their eyes. "This is our time, our kingdom! We can do so much together!"_

_ Roman slips the gold ring on Virgil's finger, the cold metal sending shivers down Virgil's spine. Once again, Virgil is swept into another kiss that he returns._

_ As Virgil is cradled in Roman's arms, kissing him, Virgil thinks back on how this story, his story, began..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot damn..isn't Roman so loving? Comment below and leave a kudos!


	2. Chapter 1: I Guess It Was A Sham...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a brief moment with Deceit and then Virgil runs off, second guessing himself and the happy memories he had with his older brother figure and refusing to talk to anyone, which may be his undoing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, day-o, and yello to all y'all royal non binary, males, females! So, the prologue is going to make sense in time. Bear with me here. This is the chapter that starts it all.  
And Happy Halloween!

In the pale light of the moon, a thirteen year old boy ran through the shadowy forest and hid behind a tree when he heard a voice.

"Virgil," Deceit crooned, "where are you my boy? It's time to go inside. It's not safe to be out in the woods like this, at night and all alone."

Virgil shuddered at the calm, soft tone as he edged back into the shadows, his dark clothing helping him blend in. Virgil would never go back to Deceit, not after what Virgil found out. All those sweet times, all the good memories were fake.

Deceit had killed his parents when he was a child, and was grooming to be god knows what. But what else would he have expected from a man known as Deceit?

Virgil had spend four years with Deceit, and he was now thirteen, fourteen in a few months, and Deceit had been fifteen when Virgil's parents were found dead.

Virgil wants to curse so badly, but he knows that he'll be caught and punished if he does. So instead Virgil continues to slowly walk away, watching our for roots, anything that could trip him or-

-CRACK! went a twig-

give him away...

Without hesitating, Virgil runs like a scared rabbit. It feels like only a second when Virgil is frozen in place. Virgil strains and screams in frustration and anger as a tall, dark figure stalks towards him.

Deceit walks up to him, messing with Virgil's hair and smirking at the scared and worried expression on his face.

"Dee-" Virgil whimpered as Deceit grips his face in one yellow gloved hand. 

Deceit kisses Virgil softly and long, ignoring the sounds of discomfort emitting from the boy.

"Virgil, Virgil, Virgil. What am I going to do with you? I practically raised you and this is how you repay me? By running away?" Deceit admonished after the kiss.

The older man’s two toned eyes stare down at Virgil with amusement and a smug confidence that he’s going to win Virgil over again with his lies. Deceit's yellow eye glows brighter.

"You lied! You killed my parents!" Virgil snapped. “I don’t want to go anywhere with you!”

“Virgil, you’re basing these accusations on what? Who told you these things?” Deceit asked, laughing though there was a hard edge to his calm tone of voice.

“I found your journal. You wrote how you murdered my parents. How you enjoyed making their blood pour out so that you could get me. They knew what you wanted from me and that was the reason why they were so reluctant to let me use my powers.”

“Virgil, I want you to know that-”

“I hate you!”

Deceit fixes his eyes on him and Virgil knows he’s fucked up now.

"Dee, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me!" Virgil whimpers.

"Now now Virgil, ssh," Deceit says, raising a finger to his lips.

In that moment, Virgil's voice stops working. He glares at Deceit who merely shrugs and throws him over his shoulder. After twenty minutes of walking through the dark woods, Deceit sets Virgil down when they get to the doors of the black manor house that serves as Virgil's past home and now his prison, and Deceit pushes Virgil inside. The enchantments are now gone and Virgil is free to speak and move. The first thing he does is to get out of Deceit's too tight and possessive grip.

“Go to your room Virgil. I’ll be there in a moment,” Deceit promises.

Virgil doesn’t even bother to respond as he goes up to his room. He is so fucked. Why did he freak out like that? He should have been smarter and just asked Dee what happened or ran off without an explanation instead of screaming at Deceit when he came and running off. Virgil sits down on his bed and hunches over, hugging himself tightly. 

"Virgil," Deceit croons, smiling at him.

"Dee."

"You know what has to happen right?"

Virgil nods as Deceit comes closer. Virgil holds back a plea and whimper as Deceit takes off Virgil's cloak.

That night, Deceit punishes him in a new way, one that makes Virgil certain that he needs to leave immediately. What makes it worse is that Deceit makes Virgil _thank_ him for violating him. Like it was something _Virgil_ had wanted. Virgil is still thinking about this as Deceit holds him close and Virgil can feel the coolness of the elder’s scales against the back of his neck. Virgil moves slightly and Deceit moves Virgil so that he's secure in Deceit's warm arms. Eventually Virgil falls asleep, dreaming of Deceit killing his parents and seeing the blood pour out of their bodies and bathe the ground, the walls, Deceit, Virgil, in the dark red color.

Virgil wakes up with the smell of blood in his nose and to Deceit stroking his hair. Virgil moves to push the hand away, but is stopped by Deceit's magic.

"Virgil, kitten, there are some new rules for you to follow. One, if you go outside of the grounds without my permission, you will get punished severely. Second, you will not go to my chambers unless I say so or through my personal belongings ever again. Third, you will tell me where you are going before you leave my like of sight. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes what kitten?"

"Yes sir."

Two weeks later, two weeks of following Deceit's stupid rules, after planning and learning more about his magic and how to hide it, Virgil escapes again. Only this time, Virgil puts a sleeping draught in Deceit’s tea which makes sneaking out easier. Virgil doesn’t leave any of his personal belongings behind and cleans everything he’s touched so that Deceit couldn’t use a tracking spell on him. Once Deceit has been asleep for a good ten minutes, Virgil escapes and doesn’t look back. 

Virgil knows why he can't be outed as a magic user: because his magic is "dark," which makes it bad, evil, or whatever. There are other magic users though it's just a misnomer, because most of which are alchemists. Only are rare few of "white" magic users have good intentions and have white magic.

Personally, Virgil thinks labeling magic is dumb. Magic is magic. Anyone can wield it, but it takes years of practice to do so; and only few are born with it, making them very powerful. Virgil is one of those "lucky" few to be born with magic. Both of his parents were well known magic users who would help out anyone, charging those who could pay and refusing to charge those who could not. Both believed that it didn't matter what "type" of magic a person was born with, what mattered was what a person decided to do with their magic.

He comes to the outskirts of the Sanders Kingdom and decides to sleep outside of the borders for now. Maybe he can find work or someway to keep himself from starving. Hiding his magic will be easy enough, Virgil isn't the one to call attention to himself, and hates being in the spotlight.

Meanwhile Prince Thomas and his family watched as Baron Ethan Novak, a trusted friend and advisor the royal family, a man of the people, a man who cared for others, and the brother of General James Novak, the leader of the Sanders kingdom army, was marched to the executioner's block, on the large wooden stage, on trial for-

“Committing treason, consulting with dark magic users, using dark magic, the attempted murder of Prince Thomas and his mother Queen Karen, and the murder of King Robert!” the executioner announced. 

Prince Thomas tried not to scream at the last one. Baron Novak had claimed that a group of dark magic users had killed his father, which no one but him was a witness to this horrid act. When the queen had begun her rule, the Baron had tried persuading her to allow him to help her with ruling the kingdom. The Queen had refused which had caused the Baron to be violent and trying to murder Thomas. He would have succeeded had not the Baron's nephew Roman alerted his father James, as to what was happening.

“A woman should not rule and neither should a child!” Baron Novak screamed, the normal kind brown eyes aroused with anger answers madness.

The Queen clenched her jaw tightly, annoyed as hell, and holding back several choice words for the Baron.

The Baron didn’t look like the man who comforted Thomas when his father died or helped him with his swordplay. He looked like a murderer, someone who needed to be stopped.

“I did what was needed for the benefit for the people of the Sanders Kingdom!” the Baron protested over the enraged cries of the people as the executioner informed the crowd that the Baron had planned to destroy a large portion of the Sanders Kingdom in order to please the dark magic group that he had joined.

“How do you, the people, judge him? Is he innocent or guilty?” the executioner continued, overriding the Baron who thrashed against his bonds. 

“GUILTY!” screamed the crowd, who were enraged that this man who gave to them planned to kill their prince and queen and destroy their homes in order to make a kingdom of his own.

Queen Karen grabbed Thomas close as the executioner swung his axe upwards and as the Baron continued his rant. 

“FOOLS! SOON YOU WILL ALL SEE THAT I WAS CORRECT AND THAT THE ROYAL FAMILY IS A WEAK AND PATHETIC AND-“

Whatever else the Baron was going to say was cut short literally by the blade of the executioner's axe. A hard _thud_ went through the entire kingdom as the Baron's head bounced on the wooden planks. There was a grim murmur of approval from the people as they walked away, some of them spitting on the head of the Baron, who's face was fixed on a sneer. 

Prince Thomas was steered away from the balcony and to the palace by his tutor Adam Kane and his bookish son Logan, who helped Thomas with his lessons.

Patton Morales, another of Thomas's friends was there, and the son of one of the stewards in the castle, was holding Roman Novak's hand, one of the nephews of Baron Novak. 

Roman's older brother Remus wasn't in the kingdom, but he had been informed of his uncle's treachery and was coming back from defeating a den of dark magic users who were in league with Baron Novak. Thomas could only imagine what Roman must have been going through, since his uncle cared about him and Remus a lot when their mother died and when their father was gone for quests or training new recruits.

Thomas wanted to be a good king when he came of age on sixteenth birthday, and he had a group of good friends beside him. But he wanted a person to share his life with, and Thomas wasn't into girls, which was fine by his mother, who encouraged him to find the right man. So far he had no luck, but Thomas was still hopeful. 

After they had reached the castle, Patton and Logan were whisked away by their families while the Queen and General Novak went to meet Remus, leaving Roman and Thomas by themselves.

"Are you all right?" Thomas and Roman asked each other at the same time after a brief moment of uncomfortable silence.

They both smiled.

"I'm fine. What about you?" Thomas asked his best friend.

"Honestly? Shaken up and not sure if I'm going to get sleep tonight or anytime this week," Roman answered.

"We could always get Alchemist Picani to help you with that," Thomas suggested playfully.

"No, god no!" Roman respond, laughing.

Though Emilie Picani was a nice man who charged fairly, he was very energetic and enthusiastic and often times went off topic when talking to his patients where they were for a therapy session or to get a cure for a cold. The two friends eased back into their normal banter and talked until Remus showed up, still clad in his dark riding uniform and armor.

"Come on little brother," Remus smirked, pale brown eyes glinting with amusement.

"I'm not little. I'm almost the same height as you!" Roman protested as Remus ruffled his hair.

"But you're still fifteen squirt."

"Dookie."

"Quiet Princey."

Thomas smiled as he watched the two brothers walk off into the starlit night and went to his chambers to retire for the night. He looked at his kingdom, his people. The Sanders Kingdom was known for its acceptance for everyone, but due to recent events, people were now unwilling to trust any stranger. Thomas vowed as he pulled up the silken covers on his bed that he would change that, and show the Sanders Kingdom while there were threats and dangers outside of their walls and sometimes within, there was no need to hurt anyone who was different from them.

Meanwhile Virgil skulked off to the woods after being yelled at by several people for sleeping in alleys and against walls.

“Wretched urchin! Get out of here!” a man boomed, throwing a large beer mug at Virgil.

Virgil heard the drunken laughter of the people inside as he saw his reflection in the murky water of a puddle. His dark brown hair was messy and flecked with leaves and his face and clothes were covered in dirt. Virgil stumbled away from the puddle, annoyed at what he saw. He perks up when he finds a dilapidated shack that no one has used in forever. 

Virgil pushes the door open and shuts it quietly. He takes off his raggedy, dirt covered cloak and snuggles up against the wall, curling into himself for warmth. He didn’t want to start a fire and attract something or someone. Virgil takes one last look through the dingy window and sees the castle and sneers.

Royals, nobles, whatever they were called here, cared for no one but themselves and clearly this kingdom, the Sanders Kingdom was the worst. Unfortunately, it was the only place Virgil knew that he could get to and be safe away from Deceit. Maybe he could find a way out of this land for good, Virgil pondered as he drifted off to sleep.

Two boys, one with the life of promise and joy, the other with life of pain and darkness, both prepared for the next day and whatever trials it held. One confident, the other unsure, but both ready to leave the past behind and make their own destinies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Virgil, my sweet strange dark son, why do I do this?  
Also, what’s your Halloween costume for this year? Going as Scrump!


	3. Chapter 2: No Place To Call My Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil scraping by in the glorious Sanders Kingdom and we get a glimpse of Remus’s thoughts and at our other boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, wish Virgil luck with what happens! Maybe he'll get a friend...  
And I’m actually posting this while my creativity is at its highest! I will try to update every weekend, mostly on Saturdays though.  
Enjoy this chapter and don’t forget to leave me a kudos or a comment on what you think about this chapter!

TWO WEEKS LATER....

In the light of the early morning, Virgil was patching up his pair of trousers that had gotten torn on the leg. 

The teen smiled as he fixed his clothing, one of the few things he _could_ fix. His mother, Erica, had taught him how to sew and cook, while his father, Robert, had taught him about hunting, making a living, and their magic and dispelled the misconception about light and dark magic.

_Magic is a tool Virgil. It’s like a sword, is a sword evil? Only if its wielder is evil. Magic is neither good or bad, but you have the choice to do good with your magic. _

Virgil had enjoyed his life with his parents, until Deceit came along. He had introduced himself as Dean Morgenstern at first when Robert had saved his life and Erica had nursed him back to health. Virgil was ten at that time. Dean was like the older brother he always wanted. What made it even better was that Dean had magic too, though he believed that light and dark magic existed, which made Robert uneasy. Three years had passed, Virgil and Dean getting closer until Dean had encouraged Virgil to kill an deer with his magic for the “fun” of it. After that moment, Virgil was banned from seeing Dean and when Dean had become the warlock known as Deceit. Three weeks later, his parents were murdered by Deceit, a fact Deceit had never bothered to tell him.

Eventually, Virgil adopted a moniker as well: Paranoia, since he had the talent for radiating the emotion strongly that even the bravest felt his power effect them. Paranoia eventually overtook a person and everyone will fall for deceit.

Virgil yanks himself out of the past, scowling while he puts on his cloak. He starts a fire in the squashed fireplace and begins to cook his breakfast. In the firelight, Virgil can see the progress he has made with fixing the shack. He’s repaired all the furniture to the best of his ability, cleaned out all the dust and critters. There is a bowl of purple pigment on the table for later so Virgil can dye his hair, something he has always wanted to do. As his breakfast of birds eggs and rabbit heats up, Virgil gets dressed in his usual black attire: a hooded cloak, tunic, leather breeches, and boots. As he eats, the birds begin chirping and Virgil hears people go to the nearby river in the winter for whatever reason Virgil cannot not comprehend.

Meanwhile Remus is pacing around his uncle's library nervously. Even though s fire is roaring, Remus shivers. His uncle had been murdered by the royal family and his father did nothing to stop it. Remus had claimed the Baron's grounds, though lied about not finding anything referring to dark magic. Uncle Ethan had told Remus his plan the moment he had turned eighteen.

_We are destined for great things Remus! Roman is too, but for now let him enjoy his childhood ignorance while he can. _

Remus was told about how his uncle met a warlock named Deceit and his apprentice Paranoia and how Deceit was helping him take control of the kingdom. Remus didn't particularly care that the Queen was running the kingdom, in fact, she was doing a wonderful job, but his uncle was one of those traditional, stuffy, boring, and dull people who believed a man should rule and have a wife to do his bidding. Remus however never wanted a wife. Men were more attractive then women in his opinion and the Sanders Kingdom was one of the first kingdoms to allow same sex marriages and have their citizens and nobility support it as well.

Remus looks at the pieces of yellowed paper addressed to him from his uncle.

_Remus, they suspect me. I leave these notes where I know only you can find them in fear that they would kill you. Summon Deceit when you can, in a safe place. Stage a private "defeat" of the dark magic users, and allow Deceit to teach you magic. Illusions are his strong point, and I hope you can make you're illusions reality! _

_ Protect your younger brother, it may take sometime, but I know you'll get to Roman. As the youngest, I know how convincing an older sibling can be, use that to your advantage! Start off with magic and how magic may not be so bad and start learning some with Roman, away from your father's prying eyes. Keep it a secret._

_ The summoning for Deceit is on the last page. Tell him what has happened and he will help you avenge me! Keep Roman away from Deceit right now. Wait until your brother is at least sixteen to start your plan. _

_ Remember Remus, I love and care for you so much! All of your accomplishments, those I have been with you for and those I won't be for, I am so proud of you for doing._

_ Love,_

_ Uncle Ethan_

Remus sighs and is about to look at the spell for summoning Deceit when a knock jerks him to the present. Remus shoves the papers in his jacket pocket.

"Come in!" Remus calls.

James Novak enters, his black hair streaked with grey, craggy face tense, and dark eyes serious.

"Remus, have you found anything?" James asked, not bothering to greet his son properly.

Remus bristled, but kept his temper in check. 

"Like I have told you for the past two weeks Father, I nor the servants have found anything related to dark magic," Remus said in an even tone.

"Very well. The Baron must have burned all the books then. There is to be a public party at the end of this week, and you are expected to be there. Keep an eye on your brother as well, he's been running around with Patton again."

Remus held back a smile. Patton, one of Roman's friends was a cute kid who was fourteen, a year younger than Roman and Thomas. Logan, the bookish one, was sixteen, but hardly ever ventured out of the library. Remus had a delicious breakfast with his family, his mother fussing that he was too pale and chattering away at all the possible matches for him. Roman tried to keep a straight face as Remus became even more exasperated with his mother. Thankfully, they finished breakfast early and Roman began laughing once their parents were out of earshot.

"You should have seen your face when mom suggested every eligible girl, then the boys," Roman snickered.

"Just wait squirt, in two years, this is going to be you. Mom throwing anyone whose eligible at you," Remus retorted, ruffling Roman's hair.

"Stop it! Remus!" Roman complained. 

"Stop what?" 

"You're messing up my hair!"

"Oh poor wittle baby," Remus laughed, letting his brother up.

"Jerk!" Roman grumbled as he fixed his hair.

"Love you too baby brother!"

"I'm not a baby!"

While the Novak brothers continued their sibling banter, Virgil looks at the small gaggle of noble ladies who were giggling and clutching their leather pouches of coins, two for each girl and their were six of them. One was for silver which had a silver embroidery and the other was for gold, which had golden embroidery. Virgil rolled his eyes at the overly intricate patterns of the two girls that he had chosen. He picked out the two stupidest ones who wouldn’t notice their missing bags, one a girl with wheat colored hair, jade green eyes, wearing a belt that she was trying to tie her pouch of silver to, but was failing because she kept on getting distracted by the jesters and young noblemen that passed by, complimenting her on her looks, the occasional one singing at her. 

Virgil rolled his eyes; women in general were so easy to flatter if you had the right looks and charm, both of which Virgil had none.

The other one was another beauty but dark haired with red lips and wore a red dress. Her gold pouch lay next to her feet and was sitting down on a bench talking animatedly with one of the old gossips.

Quickly and stealthily, Virgil made his move for the Girl in the Red Dress. Blending in with the bustling crowd, no one noticed as Virgil swiped the girl’s gold and tucked it into the folds of his cloak. He got the gold from the other just as easily. 

_Well done Virgil,_ Deceit purred in his mind.

Virgil pushes the voice away, trying to convince himself that it isn't real. Deceit doesn't know where he is. But the dreams he's been having about Deceit or someone trying to take him have had Virgil wake up in cold sweat.

As he buys the small amounts of things that he needs, paying in either gold or silver depending on the shop, Virgil notices a group of boys heading to the forest. Finishing up his day at the market, Virgil goes to his shack in the woods, putting his things away, sorting his herbs and scraps of fabric.

Virgil steps out of the shack, locks it, and goes out to get more water from the stream, carrying a large bucket. Virgil can hear the voices of the boys calling out to each other: Logan, Patton, Roman, and Thomas.

During Virgil's journey back to his shack, he hears cries of shock and drops the bucket.

Virgil runs to the sound of the commotion and sees that the group is merely yelling at each other, friendly jabs getting thrown. 

"Come on then o chivalrous one," one teased another who looked like a prince. 

"You're on then Tommy!" Princey laughed.

The two boys began wrestling each other, stumbling over roots, grunting when they collided with trees, the ground, rocks, or each other.

"Be careful, don't want to get anyone hurt now!" the boy wearing light blue declared, clearly the "dad" of the group, fixing his glasses.

"I agree with Patton. Please use caution! The terrain here is very dangerous!" the boy wearing glasses and dark blue, clearly the common sense here.

"Hey guys, come over here!" Princey called, going in the water. "We can head back home from this way!"

"Do you think that's-?" Patton began.

"It is most certainly not safe! Do not do this! We can go back around!" Common Sense argued.

"Logan, if we do that, we're going to be late for dinner. If we go this way, we can save time and clean up afterward!" Princey declared. 

"Fine! But we need to be careful, the rapids are especially dangerous right now!" Logan warned.

"Logan are you afraid of going through Borderline Lake?" Princey smiled.

Virgil smiles at the exasperated look Logan gives Princey. But still he's in awe, Virgil has heard stories of Borderline Lake in passing about how dangerous and beautiful the waters were and King Robert had been pushed in by Baron Novak. The late King Robert's son, the Crown Prince, had written a song about the lake and sang it at his father's funeral. Virgil can't remember what the Prince's name is, but he thinks it's Timmy or Jason. Virgil watches the four walk halfway across the lake. 

_I guess that’s why people come to the lake,_ Virgil realizes.

Virgil starts to head back home when he hears-

"PATTON!"

"THOMAS WAIT!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger! Honestly, water was I thinking for putting Patton in danger? 😜  
Just as a side note, I paraphrased a quote from Rick Riordan’s House of Hades and Borderline Lake’s song is Thomas Sanders’ On the Borderline. Please go check that out, though make sure you have tissues, it’s really emotional.  
Well, thanks for reading, don't forget leave a kudos and to have a great day/afternoon/evening/night, all you males, females, and non-binary pals! ✌️


	4. Chapter 3: How Could I Have Known?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “HOLD ON!” Virgil yelled, holding both boys tight.  
Virgil hauled them up onto the fallen tree. Patton was now crawling to shore while Thomas was struggling to get up. Virgil locked hands with Thomas and-  
“LOOK OUT!” Princey yelled.  
A large waved tackled Thomas back into the water. Without hesitation, Virgil dives into the treacherous waters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a long week! It’s like waiting for a show to come out, am I right? Now back to current events! 🤗

Thomas jumped back into the water, desperately swimming for Patton who clung to a log ten feet across from Thomas; Thomas could see the terror etched onto Patton’s features. Patton’s glasses had been stolen by the current and his honey brown hair was in his hazel eyes.

“THOMAS!” Roman screamed.

“Roman, don’t!” Logan warned.

“They need help!” Roman argued.

“And there doesn’t need to be three of us drowned in the lake!” Logan countered.

All of the fight seemed to seep out of Roman as Logan’s words hit home. Logan turned to Thomas and yelled:

“Thomas, go with the current, not against it! You’ll get to Patton faster.”

"Are you crazy?” Thomas yelled over the roaring rapids, the sweet water getting in his mouth.

“Just do it!”

With no better options, Thomas followed Logan’s insane advice, which actually worked! Thomas got to Patton quicker than he anticipated, and stopped at the log, catching his breath.

“Are you okay Patton?” Thomas asked.

"With _current_ events, not so much kiddo,” Patton joked despite the precarious situation he was in.

"Okay. Now we just need to find a way to get back to Roman and Logan.”

“_Water_ are you going to do?”

"Thomas, if Patton is making puns again, ignore them then follow the current to the bridge! Roman and I will meet you there!” Logan promised.

“What was that buddy? I couldn’t hear you cause your volume is too _lo_-!” Patton yelled.

"Don’t you dare!” Logan groaned.

"-_gan_!”

“Even when you are in mortal danger, you still have the energy to make puns.”

“And I always will!”

Thomas laughed a little, getting some water in his mouth. He looked to the large wooden bridge that had been commissioned after his father had died and was called the King’s Bridge because of it. Thomas remembered the sad, solemn faces at the funeral. The closed casket of his father’s body which had been mangled thanks to the lake making him almost unrecognizable.

“Come on Thomas, lets go home,” Patton smiled.

Thomas nodded and they began following the current to King’s Bridge. Everything went smoothly until they were twenty feet away from the bridge when danger struck again. Another rapid smashed into them, smacking them against the rocky sides of mountains near the river. Thomas tightened his grip on Patton’s hand and pushed off and grabbed another log that was coming towards them, hoping to ride it to the bridge. Unfortunately, the river had other plans.

Another log rammed into theirs and they were once again swept into the river, and went past the. bridge. Roman and Logan chased after them, trying to keep up, but Thomas knew they couldn’t help. Thomas looked and saw where the waterfall, the Dead Man’s Misfortune, loomed.

“Come on Patton!” Thomas encouraged.

“I’m with you kiddo!” Patton agreed.

The two friends pushed off, aiming for shore, but before they could a rapid swallowed them once again. Thomas's grip of Patton slipped and he felt himself floating down the river as he succumbed into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile Virgil who had seen all of this ran to a large gap where a nearby tree was standing, and dead by the looks of its grey bark and no life in its branches. It was large enough to block the water from whisking the two boys away and protect them from dying.

Still, Virgil felt nervous about doing his spell. Virgil hid himself before he started his spell. Virgil rid himself of those thoughts. There was no time to doubt. People were in danger! Virgil placed his hands firmly on the trunk of the tree and his hands started to glow with a black light with hints of purple in it.

"_Cadere_," Virgil began, his voice becoming distorted and dark. "_Et viam humilium declinant praesido!_" 

With a loud CRACK, the tree fell with a thud, and blocked the two boys from going any further. Virgil throws off his cloak and begins to walk in the tree. Virgil could tell that they were barely managing to stay afloat by holding onto each other. One of them looks unconscious, but struggles to grab hold of the tree. Virgil, who was now on the trunk of the in the water, but the tree was threatening to throw him off and release the water. 

"_Manet stabilis!_" Virgil whispered and the tree stilled.

Virgil ran the rest of the way, water splashing around him, drenching him to the bone, to the surprise of the two boys. The cold wind plus the chill of the water isn't going to do them any good, so Virgil needs to move now to help them.

"I can help you!" Virgil promised, holding out both hands. "Give me your hand!"

Without hesitation, Patton grabs one while Thomas hesitates then takes a hold of Virgil's. 

“HOLD ON!” Virgil yelled, holding both boys tight.

Virgil hauled them up onto the fallen tree. Patton was now crawling to shore to the other boys while Thomas was struggling to get up even with Virgil's help. Virgil locked both hands with Thomas and-

"LOOK OUT!” Princey yelled.

A large waved tackled Thomas back into the water. Without hesitation, Virgil dives into the treacherous waters. Underwater, it was chaos but thankfully the water is clear. Virgil swims to Thomas who is fighting the current with all his might, but his movements were sluggish. With one boost of energy, kicking against the current, Virgil grabs Thomas's hand, and breaks the surface. Both of them gasp for air as Virgil takes Thomas to dry land. Coughing and sputtering, Virgil manages to sit up while Thomas lays down, catching his breath.

"Thomas!" his friends yell, relieved to see him okay.

Virgil gets to his feet unsteadily and grabs his cloak. He walks towards Thomas who’s lips are turning blue and is shivering. Virgil wraps the cloak around him and turns to the other three. The other boy who had fallen into the river seems fine, shivering, but fine. No clear signs of hypothermia, but he also needs to get moving to generate some heat.

“We need to get him moving. Where do you live?” Virgil asked.

“This way. Just prepare yourself when we get there,” the boy with glasses says.

“Fine. Who are you?”

"Logan. The other one you pulled from the water is Patton-”

“I think you need more than a _patt on_ the back for rescuing me and Thomas!” Patton jokes.

“I’m Roman,” the last boy says. “And you are?”

For a moment, Virgil is tempted to say Paranoia, but thinks better of it.

“Virgil,” he answered reluctantly. “And Roman, as in Roman Novak?”

Roman smiled, cockiness and arrogance oozing out of him.

“So you’ve heard about my father?” Roman asked.

Virgil debating punching him, he had met too many people like Roman. Goody two shoes with their heads in the sand, completely ignorant about the world around them and the danger that they were in. If Roman knew about Virgil’s magic he’d probably be inclined to tell daddy dearest to lock him up. Virgil thought better of attacking Roman, seeing as how Roman was the son of a general and would know how to attack. Also, they didn’t have that much time. Instead, Virgil went with a snarky remark.

"No, your uncle. Recently executed right?” Vigil retorted.

"Okay! Time out!” Patton intervened. “Let’s just get to the castle.”

"The castle?” Virgil asked.

“That’s where Thomas lives,” Logan explained hesitantly, giving Patton an annoyed look. “He’s the Crown Prince.”

“You didn't know that?” Roman laughed. “Where have you been, under a rock?”

_No. I’ve been stuck with the murderer of my parents who wouldn’t let me out of his sight and I also met your sleazy uncle!_ Virgil thought.

“I’ve just come here,” Virgil answered, tensing.

“Fair enough-ow!” Roman groaned as he brushed past Virgil.

Shit. His magic had come out, something it tended to do if he was stressed or scared. Something Deceit had always lectured him on.

_Control is necessary Virgil,_ Deceit had crooned, stroking his back, something Virgil had always disliked, but had let Deceit do it anyway. _You don’t want to reveal yourself when undercover and faced with a dangerous adversary. Calm down. Breathe._

Despite all of the lies Deceit had fed Virgil, that was one of the few pieces of advice that were true. Virgil forced himself to relax as Patton checked to see if Roman was okay. Once they got to the castle, they were rushed in by the guards, who gave Virgil a strange look.

Virgil took back his cloak as Thomas was taken to his room by a worried looking steward. Virgil turned to leave, but a hand on his arm made him turn around.

"Where are you going?" Patton asked, wrapped in a warm blanket.

"Home," Virgil mumbled.

"Oh. Okay. See you around!"

Virgil shrugged as he left Patton there. It was a long walk to the shack and he needed to start a fire so he wouldn't get sick. Hopefully Thomas would be okay.

Meanwhile, the healer was looking over Thomas with a grim expression on his face. Thomas was unconscious and wasn't responding and kept whispering something that sound like "verge."

"What's wrong?" Queen Karen asked.

"Due to the cold water and air, Prince Thomas has caught a nasty cold. Due to his unresponsive actions, the prince may have only a month before he-" the healer faltered.

"No. There has to be a cure! I'll get it myself if I have to!" Queen Karen declared.

"There is. The Revival Lily."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation for Virgil’s spell is:  
Fall and block to protect.  
And for the other (Manet stabilis):  
Remain steady  
If you like this work, let me know in the comments and leave me a kudos!


	5. Chapter 4: I Thought I Was So Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Revival Lily is discussed as a possibility to cure Thomas and the topic of Deceit’s Apprentice Paranoia is discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo hoo! Got it done and on the same day Thomas posted his new mini series: Sanders Asides, which is a fluffy domestic version of Sanders Sides, so go check that out!

Queen Karen looked at the healer in shock.

“The Revival Lily? I thought that that was a legend,” Queen Karen said.

“Yes, it partially is a legend, but there are stories of people finding it and getting cured,” the healer informed her.

Queen Karen studied this healer closely. He was a new apprentice of Picani’s but knew how to cure most things. His green tights matched his eyes and a brown apron covered in spills and powders was over a blue tunic and his black hair was pulled back.

“Where is it?” Queen Karen asked.

“In the east, near the Cozart Kingdom, and it is rumored to be in the gardens or near the grounds of the warlock Deceit and his partner Paranoia.”

Queen Karen blanched. Deceit had been the warlock whom Baron Novak had been consorting with. Deceit was notorious for destroying kingdoms and those he left in charge answered immediately. Not only was he called the Snake because of the scales on his face, but because of his slippery ways of sneaking into kingdoms and destroying them. No one had been able to stop him, especially with his young apprentice Paranoia, who seemed to be more powerful than Decent himself. Entire armies were susceptible to Paranoia’s influence, making them too scared to pick up anything to defend themselves.

“But Paranoia has been gone for weeks now. Any chance that this could have been planned so Deceit could try to manipulate us?”

“I don’t think so. You would need to the boys who were with Thomas when he fell in. One of them must have saved him. As for Paranoia, no one knows what’s happened. Some say that he’s rogue now or that Paranoia is undercover for Deceit. The last one seems more likely though: Paranoia escaped Deceit’s influence. From what the accounts of Deceit and Paranoia, Paranoia seems to be around Thomas’s age.”

Queen Karen suppressed a shudder. How that poor boy had fallen into Deceit’s clutches was a mystery to her.

“But to get the Revival Lily would help Thomas immensely. The regular medicines and herbs can only do so much.”

Queen Karen nodded.

“Thank you Healer-?”

“Duc. Healer Duc,” the man said.

“Thank you. I will confer with General Novak to see what we can do.”

“As you wish my Queen. I will await your call.”

Once the man had left, Queen Karen went to the library and opened a copy of _Legends and Lore of the Domains_ to the page where it talked about the Revival Lily:

_Once upon a time, long before man discovered the art of magic, the dawn shed some of its light upon the earth in the darkest forest. A bright streak of pink and gold fell to the ground, causing many to stare at the streak that quickly vanished. Those who saw it dismissed it as another comet streaking across the sky. As the dawn turned into day, a pink, red, and purple lily grew, dispelling the shadows around it._

_It was long before anyone found it, villages and kingdoms were built around the Lily, but no one disturbed it. Until one day a man happened upon it by accident._

_This man was poor, but tried to be content with his lot in life, since he knew there were others who had less than he._

_However, this day the man was debating on killing a prominent figure, the Mayor, in his community so he would not be wrongly executed for a crime he did not commit: murder with the aid of magic._

_Magic was a new thing and while many claimed to have magic, a rare few actually possessed the ability._

_The Mayor had magic and done this awful deed himself, this the man knew for certain, for he had seen the blank look on peoples’ faces when they listened to him speak, his words like soothing honey to the ears. He had also been the one to find out that the Mayor had killed the Baron, who was coming to stop the tyranny of the Mayor. The Man also had magic, but it was not as powerful as the Mayor’s._

_The man walked through the dark forest, unsure of what to do. His magic could help him manipulate emotions but only for a short time. The Man was just about to go back to his home and prepare for his demise when he saw a pinkish light emitting from the darkest part of the forest. As he got closer, he saw that it was a flower, beautiful as the dawn itself._

_When the man got close to the flower, he felt his magic kindle something in him like the day he had first used it. Curious, the man touched one of the petals, once he did the magic of the dawn coursed through him along with the urge to do good. As fast as he could, he rushed to the town square where the trial was being held, and proclaimed what the Mayor had done. He spoke with conviction and honesty, but did not raise his voice._

_When he finished_ _speaking, the people were silent. The Man looked nervously at the people whom he had known all his life, would they believe him? The Mayor opened his mouth to say something when the people looked to the Mayor and asked him if this was true. To their great surprise, the Mayor confessed that he had used magic to kill the person. The Mayor was stripped of his title and executed immediately. The people thanked the Man and asked if he would consent to be their mayor._

_The Man declined politely, and suggested that someone else take the job. Disappointed, the people followed his advice and the new mayor helped the village, starting with the poorest._

_From then on, the man did his best to do good deeds while observing the lily._

_Far and wide he was renowned as the Righteous One, for performing acts of kindness that grew to help every tier of society in the kingdom he visited in, and it wasn’t long before he decided to officially become the Helper of the Domains. Thieves and murders repented after a conversation with him, liars told the truth, and orphans found families when he helped them._

_Whispers of his “powers” grew: he was a white magician, a god sent to earth, or a con man. The Righteous One visited the lily often but was unsure what to call it. He discovered by touching the petals every few months, his powers would get stronger. He eventually discovered the origins of the Lily and wrote it down. The dawn had made it and now he was using it to bring light to the world._

_Just as he was going to complete a new experiment on the Lily, a woman whom _ _the man loved dearly got sick and there was no hope for her health, the man decided to take a petal from the lily and give it to the girl, hoping she would at least respond to the healer’s medicines. In the night, the man roused the woman and told her that the petal could help her feel better until the medicines kicked in and healed her completely._

_“Thank you,” the woman smiled, her eyes sparkling when she looked at the ruby red petal._

_With great effort, the woman took a small music box and opened it. A beautiful melody played to which the woman sang along to:_

Flower, gleam and glow

Let your power shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt

Change the Fates' design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine

_To the great surprise of the Righteous One, the petal glowed brightly, pinkish light like the dawn filling the room, and the color to the woman’s cheeks returned. The woman smiled at him._

_“You and this lily saved me. Thank you.”_

_She kissed him and he asked her to marry him, which she gladly accepted. The Righteous One now knew what to call it: the Revival Lily after_ _his wife, Revival._

_They kept the reason of her health returning a secret for as long as they could but one day the secret was told: a magical flower sent by the dawn was the reason for her health and the Righteous One’s powers. Many were shocked but none condemned them for keeping it a secret, though many went on quest_s _to find it and claim it for themselves._

_A warlock who was also in love with the healed woman heard of this and vowed to find the flower and corrupt it. The Warlock was driven mad by lust and the quest of finding the Lily. When the day came when he finally pinpointed the Lily_’s _location, he laughed and magic ricocheted into the sky. Seeing the sparks and knowing who was making them, Revival found the Lily and uprooted it, placing it in her own garden._

_Unfortunately, a single petal was left behind and the warlock found it. Hissing and cackling with delight, he began his spell as he walked through the Righteous One’s village. As he recited the words, people and animals began to get sick, the ground turned black and barren, and the once cheerful village was dark and depressing._

_The Righteous One sent Revival to another village to get help, giving her the Lily, and hoping to save their unborn child. As Revival fled she could see the bright flash of light taking over the darkness._

_The Righteous One fought with the Warlock, all of his magic and energy focused on saving his home. They were both weary but kept using their magic, with one final blast the Righteous One destroyed the Warlock who crumbled into dust along with the two petals that came from the Lily. As the light _ _of the dawn came up, the Righteous One fell to the ground, singing his wife’s song that had saved her with his final breaths._

_As Revival traveled to the next town, she gave birth to her child, a healthy baby boy and she hid herself from being known as the wife of the Righteous One and replanted the Revival Lily somewhere else and when her son was old enough, she told him of his father and where to the Revival Lily._

_“Only you can find the Revival Lily,” Revival told her son. “And your children. Keep it secret, keep it safe.”_

_However her son published the tale that only the worthy could find the Revival Lily, which was true for that was where he found his wife, which caused more quests in search for it. Many still search for the Revival Lily, wanting its power their own, but none have succeeded. _

The Queen put the book down and sighed. She needed talk to General Novak so he could send out a team to find the Revival Lily to save her son.

Meanwhile Healer Duc was walking away from the castle, near the backwoods of the nobles’ homes. Once Healer Duc was off the palace grounds he whispered:

“_Dissimulato in ruinam medicus.”_

Healer Duc shifted into Remus Novak. He smiled. His plan had worked!

Previously, he’d taken an apprenticeship with Picani several months before this so it wouldn’t cause any trouble. Getting the Queen worked up about Thomas had been too easy. Thomas didn’t need the Revival Lily, but Remus did. If he managed to kill everyone with him, steal the Lily, and change into someone else then he could help Deceit to jumpstart his plan to take over the Domains, the land that encompasses all of the kingdoms, the most prominent being the Sanders Kingdom. The Sanders Kingdom was in the heart of the Domains, every kingdom had to use its trails and roads if they wanted to cross to another unless they wanted to go through the woods which were infested with dark magic users.

Remus snuck into his home and entered through the library window. Remus walked over to the large mahogany desk and inserted a large brass key into the lock of the bottom left drawer where a thick book was hidden amongst other dangerous poisons.

“Revival Lily,” he whispered as he thumbed through the pages. “What is that incantation? Ah yes!”

The book Remus had was his uncle’s who had received it from Deceit as a gift and gave the full details of the Revival Lily. Most of the legend was true, but the incantation for the dark use of the Lily was written down only in this book. Only three people who were alive knew this incantation: Remus, Deceit, and Paranoia. Remus frowned.

Where was Paranoia? Remus hadn’t summoned Deceit yet so he wasn’t certain. He’d better do it now before it was too late to talk to him. Remus pulled out the slip of paper with the spell on it and recited:

“_Dolo, ex falsa et vana dominum meum et vocavi te._”

For a couple seconds nothing happened and Remus was about to say it again when-

“You called?” a soft voice asked.

Remus turned to see a man wearing a black hat and cloak with yellow gloves behind him.

“Deceit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again here are the translations:  
Dissimulato in ruinam medicus  
(Disguise of the doctor fall)  
Dolo, ex falsa et vana dominum meum et vocavi te  
(Deceit, master of lies and illusion, I summon thee)  
Thanks for reading, leave me a comment and kudos, and till next time, see ya all you amazing guys gals and non binary pals!  
PEACE OUT! ✌️


	6. Chapter 5: I Guess I’m Someone Else Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit finally gets to meet the stinky boi and the Queen and General talk about Thomas’s “critical” condition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phone: update the story  
Me: SLEEP  
Phone:Update The Story  
Me: Sleep...not getting up.  
Phone: UPDATE  
Me: FINE

“Come on Logan, move over!” Roman grumbled.

“We are not as small as we once were. There’s not enough room to be messing around!” Logan snapped back.

“Quiet!” Patton whispered. “I think they’re here!”

“Your Majesty, what is it?” General Novak asked the Queen.

“The Healer has told me that Thomas has only a month, but there is a cure,” the Queen said.

Patton, Roman, and Logan listened to Queen Karen and General Novak talk while hiding in one of their secret hiding places in the library. Squished between two shelves a small closet was placed there, but it was filled with dust and broken shelves that no one bothered with it. Underneath the boys’ feet was a trapdoor from which they had entered. Throughout the conversation, the three boys suppressed all of their emotions and reactions to the conversation.

“The Revival Lily? The Healer thinks Thomas is going to die?” General Novak growled.

“James, please calm yourself. I need you to send Remus and a few others to go to the Cozart Kingdom to ask for their assistance to find the Lily!” the Queen said in a low voice. “If this works, then our two kingdoms can unite against our common enemy: Deceit. The Cozart Kingdom is well known for its magic users if they can help us-”

“Then an alliance can be formed. The Cozart boy is the same age as Thomas and when they are together they seem to like each other.”

“Yes, which will help our cause.”

A few moments of silence passed until James spoke again.

“The boys said someone saved Patton and Thomas. None of them gave a name which makes me wonder if the person is a criminal or something even more dangerous.”

“But they also said the rescuer was a boy around Thomas’s age and that none of them had seen him before,” Queen Karen added. “If this boy did save my son, I am thankful no matter what life he’s living. If I ever meet him, he will have a home here.”

“Your Highness, what if this boy is a-?”

“You are being paranoid. I understand how hard it was for you to lose your brother to dark magic and to the executioner’s axe, but not everything is a plot to take over our kingdom. How long do you think you can get a team together?”

“A few days. My sons, both of them, just got to see each other for the first time in months, and now I’m separating them again. The boys are two different kinds of creative. Roman is brash, bold, and honest, and knows the right thing to do. I just wish Remus was a little bit like him and had his sense of care. Remus is an eccentric leader with strange creative ideas on how to win a battle, but has no remorse. I’m not sure if I want to charge him with leading this.”

“What about Joan? They seem like a good fit. Top of their class, correct?”

“Yes. I’ll speak to both of them tomorrow. Good night my Queen.”

“Good night General.”

The boys waited until the door closed to get out of their hiding spot. Roman looked at Patton who shifted nervously. It had been Patton’s idea to not tell anyone the boy’s name. Roman had swelled with pride when he heard his father talk about him but it turned bitter when he started talking about Remus. Yes, Remus was strange and his ideas creepy and dark, but Roman knew that Remus would always do the right thing.

Roman jerked himself out of his thoughts. They needed to talk about Virgil, the boy who had saved Thomas. Personally, Roman didn’t see why Patton was protecting him.

“Patton why are you protecting him?” Roman asked.

“I agree with Roman on this. You told us both to not say anything about Virgil. It’s illogical to be attached to a person even if they did save you that you would protect them so,” Logan declared.

Patton straightened his glasses and looked at them both.

“Because it seems like he’s hiding from something or someone. Yes, I want to tell Thomas’s mom that Virgil saved us. But I can’t. I think by saying his name without him here to tell everyone what happened is a betrayal of his trust,” Patton defended. “I want to find him. He lives in the village somewhere. We can find him in the morning.”

Meanwhile Remus and Deceit were straightening their clothing. Both of them had too much sexual tension and when Remus touched Deceit, one thing led to another.

Now they were talking about the illusion for Thomas and how to make him seem worse than he actually was. Of course Remus had used a potion to drug Thomas asleep for awhile. Hopefully the illusion would do the rest.

“Why not just rule the kingdom yourself?” Deceit asked.

“Not my style. And I would rather have the Queen rule right now, she knows what to do. I don’t. However, I can control her. How do you cast this illusion spell?” Remus asked.

“It’s a simple incantation along with using an object usually that you keep close. If the object breaks, so does the illusion. Keeping this up for a month is difficult. The spell will fall when the sun goes down but the people in the castle will overlook this,” Deceit answered. “Do you have an object in mind?”

“I do actually.”

Remus pulled out one of his uncle’s sashes and put it on. It was a lime green color and it went perfectly with the black of his clothing.

“A sash? Interesting choice,” Deceit commented.

“Thank you. What part do I need to fulfill for you?” Remus asked.

Deceit hesitated. Remus looked at the scaly man. He was like him: twisted, dark, mad, and powerful. Only Deceit was free to express his ideas, Remus’s ideas were stifled. Instead of torturing the answers out of rogues, Remus was forced to merely interrogate.

Deceit straightened his cloak with his yellow gloves and looked at Remus.

“I need you to help me find my apprentice. He’s...left me,” Deceit admitted.

Remus blinked. Okay, not what he was expecting but he could do it.

“Paranoia? Why would he leave you?” Remus asked.

_Why would anyone want to leave you?_ Remus thought.

“I hid something from him. Information about his parents. He didn’t take it too well.”

“Like-?”

“How I murdered them because they were shoving thoughts that there was no such thing as dark magic. How magic is a tool and other bullshit.”

Well then.

“Do you think he merely needs time or did he leave leave?”

“He’s left. Took everything he had and cleaned everything he touched so I couldn’t track him.”

“Clever boy. Clearly taught by a master.”

Deceit smirked at the flattery.

“Indeed. However, his powers are key to helping my plans to take over the Domains. Without him, the process will be slow with enough time for our enemies to escape.”

“‘Our enemies?’” Remus asked.

“I mean-”

“It’s fine. May I have a name to find him with?”

“His name is Virgil Connors. I don’t know where he is, but if you find him, use these on him.”

Deceit produced a pair of silver handcuffs that shimmered slightly.

“They will dampen his magic. Bring him to me as soon as you can or summon me. I will not hesitate to kill if you keep him from me.”

Remus looked the other man in his two different colored eyes.

“Of course I wouldn’t. That would be like if someone took my brother away from me. I’ve almost killed my father because of his meddling. Roman is naive, full of thoughts of good and evil, right and wrong, all of which our parents taught us. All lies as my uncle soon told me. However, I will keep Roman in the dark for now. He doesn't need to be a part of this.”

Deceit nodded. Both had a someone to fight for, to care for. And they would do anything to keep them safe.

“May I ask how did Thomas fall into the water?”

“He and his friends went through but one almost drowned so Thomas went back and saved him. Both were stuck until another boy saved them.”

“Another boy? You don’t know his name?”

“No. The boys claimed that he didn’t tell them, but Patton is a terrible liar. They know, they must have a reason to hide him. Not that I blame the boy. Once you’re in the royals’ radar you never leave it.”

“Much like me. I tried to help a royal out and it didn’t go well, as you can see by my scales. The royal betrayed me and I took over their kingdom. I was fourteen.”

“What an inspiring story,” Remus whispered. “I’ll summon you the day before the ‘quest’ to find the Lily begins.”

“Of course. See you then.”

With one more final, deep kiss, and in a puff of black smoke, Deceit was gone.

However his presence did not go undetected by Virgil who nearly had a panic attack in the forest.

That dark, sinister, _familiar_ aura came from somewhere near the castle, but Virgil wasn’t about to go near Deceit after he had worked so hard to get out of Deceit’s clutches.

“Calm down. Get to the shack. Get to the shack and you can decide what to do,” Virgil murmured.

As Virgil walked to his shack, he thought about Thomas and Patton to get his mind off of Deceit. Patton would be fine, but Thomas would need a week of bed rest and staying warm before he could do anything. Virgil had fallen in a lake in the winter when he was six and so he knew from experience that it was not going to be fun staying in bed and not doing anything. Maybe he would visit Patton at least and apologize for leaving abruptly.

Virgil opened the door to his shack and closed and locked the door behind him. He grabbed the purple pigment and sat down in front of his dingy mirror. As he colored his hair, Virgil calmed down and pushed all thoughts of Deceit out of his mind and began thinking about Patton and his other friends.

Logan seemed nice enough, but very nerdy and probably the one that lectured the crap out of all of them when they did something stupid (which probably happened a lot) and a huge nerd.

Patton was clearly the heart of the group. Bubbly, happy, and goofy were all traits that Virgil could see in Patton. But he was also the dad of the group, gently reprimanding the other boys to talk nicely about themselves (Virgil would probably get told that all the time).

Thomas was clearly the leader. Even if Virgil didn’t know that Thomas was the prince, Virgil could see that Thomas carried himself confidently, but cautiously as well, like he was afraid to mess something up, but was willing to do it anyway.

Roman. How start with Roman?

He was a huge jerk. Clearly the influencer and creator of bad ideas (like going through lakes in winter), and probably the one whom everyone thought that he would grow up to be a hero like his dad and brother. Cocky and arrogant, thinking that everyone loved him and was appalled when someone didn’t. Also probably one who believed in the separation of “good” and “bad” magic like almost all of the population in the Domains.

Virgil felt no shame when he used Roman’s uncle against him. The anger he had received was necessary but Virgil knew Roman was the one to get angry so that the four wouldn’t bother him ever again. Or at least to persuade the others to not find Virgil.

Virgil laid down next to the fire, closing his eyes. Maybe he would get some sleep before finding the next ship out of here.

With a sigh, Virgil closed his eyes and fell asleep, dreams awaiting him.

_Virgil, I’m coming._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright fabulous guys, awesome gals, and the amazing non binary pals, hope you enjoyed the story! Don’t forget to leave a kudos and comment! Thank you all and-oh hell...  
Phone: Oh guess what! You’ve got oral exams for Spanish on Monday and you’re hanging with your friends on Sunday!  
Me: I hate you


	7. Chapter 6: I Thought...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit reflects on his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Ha! Getting this published at the last possible minute cause WiFi sucks! Hope you enjoy!

Deceit scowled and cursed as his fiftieth tracking spell failed to find Virgil. That boy had definitely had known what he was doing. He had done everything for Virgil and now the boy had the nerve to spit in his face. Though Deceit guessed Virgil had the right to be a little upset since he had started the fire. The fire wasn’t going to happen for a long time but when Virgil’s father tried to keep him away from Virgil, Deceit knew he had to act.

Deceit had known when he had met Virgil he was going to be destined for great things. He just needed to get rid of the things that were holding him back. Like the belief that magic was a neutral tool given to all, and good or bad magic didn’t exist.

Fools. Of course good and bad magic existed! History was full of those who were born with good or evil powers and their deeds. Deceit accepted his destiny when he discovered he had dark magic. His family, however, all had good magic and were known for their good deeds for others and helping kingdoms to protect kingdoms from drought, famine, disease, and war. So when Deceit finally showed his true powers, they were ashamed. Deceit, or Damos, as he was known then, was a rather unique child.

With that, Deceit shifted back into his past...

_Damos had turned 14, which was the age his powers had come to their maturity. Today his parents sent him to talk to the rulers of the Titan Kingdom, who were wanting his parents to help them fight another kingdom. His parents had assessed the situation and refused to help the Titan Kingdom because they were planning to attack a weak kingdom that Damos’s family promised to protect._

_However, Damos agreed with the ruler of the Titan Kingdom, and wanted to see the Sunlight Kingdom to be conquered. They were a weak kingdom, barely surviving on what they could get from the charity of other kingdoms and whatever sorcerers they could find. Of course his family, all of whom had the power to make good things happen such as rain to fall on the crops that had been planted, dispelling dark magic away from their kingdom, and keeping the kingdom at peace. His mother, father, and older brother’s gifts. His youngest brother, Remy, hadn’t shown any magical abilities, which concerned his parents and older brother Kurtis, but Damos saw no reason to worry. After all, Damos had only shown that he could calm people down and mimic voices, not that he could shapeshift into different people and deceive them into thinking that he was the actual person. Not to mention that his cool voice could flow over anyone and persuade them into doing whatever he wanted._

_He was thinking of a name to call himself, the Shifter seemed to obvious and the Snake was too stupid, even though he did have a snake. Ethan, his familiar, also helps with his disguises and lies._

_He transforms into his father before he reaches the kingdom’s border. Damos walks in without anyone stopping him._

_“My king the sorcerer Vanguard is here,” a guard announces._

_“Very good. Now leave us!” King Saturn snarls. “Sorcerer, I thought you said you weren’t going to help us!”_

_“The other king was next to me when I sent that message, I came here to clarify things personally,” Damos says in his father’s croaky voice._

_“Well then, I’m glad you did. Your middle son, Damos isn’t it? He has great potential to be a dark mage, send him here so that my sorcerers may teach him,” the king orders._

_Damos looks at the king who is hiding a smirk. No doubt he thought if his “father” tried to break their deal, then he would kill him. Rage fills Damos, but he manages to stay calm. He smiles._

_“I’m afraid I cannot. The rulers of the Sunlight Kingdom have a daughter who has taken a liking to my son. They would notice and suspect there is something wrong. However, give me some of your books to give to him.” Damos says._

_“Of course.”_

_“My family is working with the other kingdom as a ploy to delude themselves into a sense of security,” Damos lies to the king, planning on what to do._

_“Well I hope you and your family act quickly! Those fools have no right to be called a kingdom. Weaklings!” King Saturn snarled._

_“Of course your majesty.”_

_With that, Damos plans on killing King Saturn first then dealing with his family and the Sunlight Kingdom._

_Two years of planning to kill his family (with the exception of his youngest brother Remy) and the rulers of both kingdoms were ruined when his older brother found out what was happening and tattled to their father. Of course Damos was already ruling the Titan Kingdom with an iron fist after killing King Saturn and declaring that he was Deceit, the new ruler of the Dark Kingdom._

_“You are no son of mine!” his father declared, tears in his eyes._

_“Good!” Damos hisses, stabbing his father in the heart._

_“Snake! You lying deceitful snake!” his father croaks out with his dying breaths._

_“Good bye Father.”_

_A blast of magic hits him square on the chest. Damos is sent flying and he sighs when he sees Remy, his youngest brother standing before him. Damos looks at the younger boy who is surprised as he is._

_“Remy, go. I don’t want to hurt you,” Damos says gently to the fourteen year old._

_“You killed Father,” Remy stated._

_“Yes. He was going to kill me,” Damos lied, but for once his honey smooth voices fails him._

_“No he wasn’t. He wouldn’t! Don’t lie to me!”_

_Damos hears a commotion and he grabs Remy’s hand tightly, and runs. Remy resists, pulling at Damos’s hand and reaching out for the people behind him._

_“Damos! Stop this!” his mother cried out. “Let go of your brother!”_

_Damos does stop and looks at his mother, still holding onto a squirming Remy._

_“Stop what Mother? My magic? My dark magic?” Damos asked._

_“Damos, I-”_

_“That’s not who I am anymore. I am Deceit. You tried to make me believe that my magic is wrong. It’s not. My magic is perfect for me and for my destiny. I will make every kingdom in the Domains mine and I won’t hesitate to stop those who get in my way!” Deceit declares._

_Quicker than Deceit can blink, his mother lashes out with magic that hits the side of his face. Deceit screams as scales form across the right side of his face._

_“Now everyone will know that you are a snake!” his mother screams. “You will not win! You will-”_

_His mother stops as Deceit makes a choking gesture at her._

_“I will what? Win? Indeed I will. Goodbye Mother, tell Father hello for me.”_

_“Damos, no!” Remy screams as Deceit snaps._

_Another snapping sound comes from their mother and she falls to the floor, her head bent at an odd angle. Remy runs away and Deceit can hear his sobs but he doesn’t go after him. Deceit goes after Kurtis next..._

_It’s painfully easy to find and capture Kurtis. Deceit places Kurtis into one of his dungeons in the Dark Kingdom. Deceit lets Kurtis prattle on and on about the horrid things he had done. How Remy was distraught and had run away from home._

_“Brother, why are you abandoning our parents’ teachings?” Kurtis asks as Deceit binds him with iron chains that will now dampen his magic. “You were, you _are_, a great sorcerer! You can do good things for people!”_

_“That’s all we’ve done. And yet there are still people who kill us. I want them gone. I want Remy to live in a world where he doesn’t have to live with that!” Deceit hisses. “And one more thing before I start, I am not your brother.”_

_“Damos, please!”_

_“I am Deceit!”_

_Deceit takes off his black cloak, hat, and yellow gloves and then grabs a knife. Quick as a whip, he stabs Kurtis in the gut, twisting it as he drags it out slowly. Kurtis lets out a bloodcurdling scream at the pain. Ethan slides over Kurtis, causing him to shudder and stiffen._

_“You were annoying. I may be the liar and deceiver, but there is always one thing I am honest about: my brother. Remy looked up to you. He wanted to be you until he overheard you talking about him like he was a failure. A punishment to our family because he wasn’t showing any magical abilities. He came to me, crying because he was heartbroken that you would say those things, let alone think them! So each stab and burn from me, each bite from Ethan, is for Remy!” Deceit declares._

_“I-I-”_

_Deceit slashes Kurtis’s vocal cords and cuts out his tongue smiling at the shock and pain in Kurtis’s eyes. Kurtis makes rasping sounds when Ethan bites his collarbone. Deceit lights s torch and places it next to Kurtis’s side._

_“The pain you must be in,” Deceit sighs. “What a shame.”_

_“Nngh!” Kurtis grunts._

_“What was that brother dear? You want this? Okay then!”_

_Deceit laughs at the older man’s futile attempts to get away from the heat searing his flesh from his bones. Blood drips onto the cold stone floor as do chunks of flesh that Deceit cuts off, revealing the man’s ribs and several organs._

_Hours later, Deceit finally gets bored of their game because Kurtis has stopped his struggles and protests due to the amount of pain and blood loss he has gone through. Sighing, Deceit stands up and stabs Kurtis through the heart then picks out his eyes and puts them in his mouth. Deceit admires his work. Kurtis’s mouth is closed so no one will notice that his eyes are in there until they move him. Like anyone would find him here of all places!_

_Deceit laughs a little. He cleans off his hands, puts back on his hat, cloak, and gloves. His stupid, tacky yellow gloves that Remy had given him. The gloves he wouldn’t get rid of. He places a fake ruler in his stead while he roams around, looking for his brother and finds a new place to live to keep his location a secret._

_Months pass and one day he jumps into a river to save a young boy from drowning. When he wakes, he meets the Conners and their son Virgil._

_ Afraid that they might notice either of his names, Deceit introduces himself as Dean to the family and befriends Virgil who reminds him of Remy.  _

Deceit smiles at his memories. The things he had done were gruesome and disgusting, but Deceit didn’t care anymore. He wanted Virgil and Remy to be with him so that he could protect them no matter what.

Meanwhile a young man is sitting inside a tavern, listening to people talk about Deceit and his queer apprentice Paranoia who had left him.

“Paranoia is probably going to take over!” one man speculated.

“Bah!” a barmaid yelled. “A boy like him? Obviously coerced into doing those horrid things! I’ve met survivors and they’ve seen the uncomfortableness of Paranoia near Deceit. Mark my words, that boy is going to be Deceit’s downfall!”

“Whatever you wretch! Go back to serving ale!” another man gripes.

The barmaid grumbles but did what she was told. The man looks at the group of men, scowling. Deceit. He needed to find him. After what he had done to his family, to his home and kingdom, he was ready for revenge. It seemed that Paranoia could help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I forgot to say in the beginning Deceit and Remus are like 18, which makes Remy like 16 now. I think I’ve stated the other ages in here as well...so yeah.  
Don’t forget to comment and kudos! Thanks for reading and see y’all next week!


	8. Chapter 7: Everything I Counted On Turned Out To Be Untrue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman reflects on a conversation he overhears and grumbles as they try to find Virgil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like a panic attack/mental breakdown to generate ideas, am I right? Happy reading!

Roman scowled as he walked into the woods with Patton and Logan. They had been searching all day for that Virgil boy who had rescued Patton and Thomas and who insulted his family. Roman didn’t see why Patton was so adamant about keeping Virgil a secret, but he understood that Patton wanted to thank the boy for saving him.

“Patton, we’ve searched everywhere in the village, let’s go home,” Roman griped to his friend.

“If you want to go home, that’s fine. But I want to say thank you to Virgil for saving me and Thomas,” Patton answered firmly.

Roman looked at the smaller boy as he fidgeted with his grey cloak which matched his grey eyes perfectly. Patton's eyes darted around, looking for the purple eyed "hero." He pushes his golden brown hair eyes and straightened his glasses.

After five minutes, Logan also voiced his opinion.

“Patton, let’s go back. We can find the boy later,” Logan reasoned calmly.

“Fine you two go back!” Patton snapped.

Logan and Roman stared at each other. Patton never got angry or raised his voice. Logan's blue eyes widened in shock.

“Patton, what is this really about?” Logan asked.

Patton hesitated before responding.

“I want him to see Thomas and Queen Karen. There’s something about him that makes me think he did something to get us out of the river so quickly. I’m sorry for snapping at you two. Roman, I understand if you want to go back to see your brother,” Patton answered.

“No, if this means a lot to you, then let’s keep going,” Roman answered. “I kind of snuck out anyway.”

“How did you ‘kind of’ sneak out? You either did or you didn’t,” Logan answered.

Roman sighed. Why did Logan have to take _everything_ literally?

“Fine. I snuck out of my room to come meet you so that my father and brother wouldn’t try to talk to me throughout the entire day. Happy Mr. Literal?”

“Satisfied to say the least.”

Patton giggled softly at their conversation as they ventured into the woods. While they dodged low hanging branches and stepped over gnarled roots that tried to trip them-

“If we fall, these will be the _root_ of the problem,” Patton joked as he avoided another root.

“I will literally attack you Patton,” Logan grumbled.

“I think you’re like a tree Logan,” Patton mused.

“How would you think that Patton? While I may be taller than you, I see-"

“You’re all bark and no bite!”

“You’re dead to me.”

Roman smiled at them. Those two had been pining for each other for years, Patton more obvious than Logan, but neither of them seemed to pick up the signs that the other cared for them greatly. Their bantering reminded him of his and Remus’s teasing.

Roman’s smile died as he thought of his older brother. The real reason he had snuck out was because Remus and his father had gotten into another fight.

Roman had woken up early, gotten dressed and snuck down to the kitchens to get a snack. When he was sneaking back towards his room, he heard the argument that was forced to stay quiet coming from his father’s study. Roman peeked in on the two men who thankfully didn’t notice him which would have ended the conversation and Roman wouldn’t have found out that his father was serious about sending Remus off to find the Revival Lily and-

“Remus, we’ve discussed this! You cannot torture people!” James lectured, keeping his voice level.

Roman winced. Not this again. Remus had always been known for causing pain though he knew when to stop. Or at least that’s what Remus told Roman. No doubt Remus's green eyes were blazing with anger instead of their usual merriment.

“That person was well known criminal and assassin,” Remus countered coolly. “I don’t think that applies to them! We were also pressed for time since you had ordered me and my team to come back immediately!”

Well then, yes. Father had no reason to-

“Remus, that man deserved a trial for his crimes! Not death! A death you caused! No one was there to witness what he said and how he was working for Deceit and my brother! Or where Deceit is!”

“He said he didn’t know! I asked him that numerous times Father! He never said!”

“That’s what you remember.”

“What does that mean?”

James sighed.

“You will no longer be allowed to be near prisoners. I do not trust you to keep them alive so that I can speak with them.”

“Of course General.”

The tension was so thick you could have cut it with a sword. Roman backs into the shadows when he sees Remus turn around.

“Remus, wait.”

“What Father?”

“You’re going on another quest. I know you’ve just come back but Thomas’s condition is critical. You will be going to find the Revival Lily with team led by Joan. Please ask the leaders of the Cozart Kingdom to help you. I will call for you later to give you more details. You will leave at dawn tomorrow. I will let you inform Roman of what is to come.”

“So you can make it look like I’m the bad guy for leaving him again? As you wish Father.”

Remus stalked out of the room, thankfully in the opposite direction from where Roman was hiding. After a few moments, Roman went back up to his room, packed what he needed for the day in a satchel, and left a note on his bed.

_Out with Logan and Patton._

Writing those five words took a lot and Roman decided not to address it to anyone and he began climbing down the ivy that grew near his window. Remus had taught him how, convincing their father it was a good idea for Roman to get the strength to do so and it would help him train so that he could get into the royal guard when he turned sixteen, something he couldn’t wait for. He wanted to be a hero like his dad and like Remus.

Even before Roman was old enough to think about being in the royal guard, Remus was his hero. Remus was the one who taught him how to spar and to fight, granted Remus fought a little dirty at times, but it helped Roman to get his own technique down while studying Remus’s.

Roman was jerked back into the present when he stumbled on a root and almost fell. Roman grabbed the trunk of a tree just in time to avoid getting dirt all over him.

"Are you okay?" Patton asked.

"M' fine," Roman mumbled. "Where do you think he might be?"

“I don’t know. I-I didn’t think to ask him. It’s getting cold we should probably make a fire or find shelter for now.”

“I think there’s a shack over there. Perhaps we can stay in there,” Logan mused.

The trio trudged to the direction that Logan indicated but when they got to the shack they saw-

“Virgil?” Patton asked.

“What are you doing here?” Virgil demanded.

The boy still wore his black clothing though now his dark brown hair was streaked with purple. He looked pretty good with the color, it suited him and-Roman shook his head. They were on a mission!

“What are you doing here?” Roman countered.

“I live here,” Virgil snapped.

“Why? What happened to your-?” Logan started.

“Family? None of your concern. What do you want? Where’s Thomas?”

“He’s dying,” Roman stated grimly.

Virgil stared at Roman doubtfully.

“That’s not possible. Thomas wasn’t in the water that long and-” Virgil argued.

“That’s what the Healer told the Queen!” Roman countered.

“Then that Healer is stupid. Any Healer would know that Thomas isn’t that sick! Why would the-?”

Virgil stopped. His purple eyes went wide like someone had burned him. The look of contempt and disbelief switched to shock and horror.

“No. It couldn’t have been him,” Virgil muttered.

“Him? Him who?” Patton asked.

“The person who killed my parents. He’s a magic user who can shapeshift into anyone, and if he’s found out that I’m here and helped Thomas then he wants me back.”

“Why are you so important to him?”

“I-”

Virgil went still and looked at a spot in the woods. Roman turned and saw no one.

“Get inside,” Virgil ordered.

“What?” Logan asked.

“There’s no one there!” Roman added.

“Inside. Now!” Virgil barked.

Virgil’s voice had gotten deeper and darker, which scared Roman though he didn’t show it. The three followed Virgil inside and Roman looked around the dimly lit shack. He saw a wooden table and chair that were crudely repaired. Parts of the table were streaked with the same shade of purple that was in Virgil’s hair. Hanging from the ceiling were a collection of herbs and in one small corner was a pile of ragged blankets which Roman guessed where Virgil slept. In the squashed fireplace, dying embers glowed orange and yellow, which Virgil knelt next to, making a bigger fire.

“Who are you?” Roman asked.

“Like I said when you met me: Virgil,” the boy answered.

“No family name?”

“Roman!” Patton gasped.

“Fine. Connors. Virgil Connors. Happy now Princey?”

“Why are you calling me Princey? I’m not a prince!”

“You’re a wannabe soldier that’s lived with a prince so it’s close enough!”

“Whatever stormy knight!”

“What did you just call me you pompous, spoiled-?”

“Okay then! Calm down please!” Patton begged.

Patton stepped between the two boys and gently ushered Roman towards near Logan.

“What’s wrong? Why did you tell us to come in here?” Patton asked.

Virgil hesitated before responding. Patton put a hand on Virgil’s shoulder, but Virgil shrugged it off gently.

“There is no reason Thomas should be that hurt. He didn’t fall too hard into the water and he wasn’t in there for long. The Healer was lying that Thomas needs the Revival Lily,” Virgil answers. “And I think I might know who the Healer is or at least who he’s working for.”

“That’s true. Enlighten us then. Who is it?” Logan queried.

“Deceit.”

There was a ten second silence which Roman broke.

“How do you know that?” Roman demanded.

“That’s a big statement to make. How would you even-?” Patton started.

“Because I have magic and I am-I _was_ Paranoia,” Virgil admitted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and check out Thomas’s new song Recipe For Me on YouTube! See you all next week guys gals and non binary pals and don’t forget to click the kudos button and leave me a comment down below!


	9. Chapter 8: I Thought I Knew My Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan attempts to understand Virgil, another truth is revealed, and the journey begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sksksksk...I'm sorry for updating late my "best friend" and I ended our "friendship" on Tuesday, so I've been pretty down and cynical so that's why this chapter took longer. The next update with be next year cause I'm gonna be traveling and won't have internet connection, but by then I will have two chapters ready then since I have this work saved on my phone.  
Also, happy late birthday to our dark strange son Virgil!

Logan looked at the dark clothed boy warily.

Even if he hadn’t declared he had magic, Logan would have deduced that pretty quickly and would have stayed away from him...if he hadn’t saved Patton or Thomas. Of course Logan felt grateful that Virgil had saved his friends (and humbled Roman slightly)

Logan couldn’t deny what Virgil said made sense.

Logan was confused when he had heard that Thomas was that sick. Even though the water was cold, Thomas got out pretty quickly and moved around, generating body heat; if anyone that would be sick it would have been Patton. But Patton is fine, thankfully.

Logan looks at Patton, a strange jittery feeling coming over him. Before those feelings can make him do anything foolish, Logan pushes the feeling aside and begins to focus on the problem at hand: Thomas’s illness.

So there’s no reason that Thomas should be that ill. And even if Thomas was sick the worse thing (for Thomas at least) that would happen would most likely be that Thomas would be sentenced to a week of bedrest. Along with the lecture and punishment from his mother as well.

But there were other matters to attend to other than Thomas’s “illness,” such as Virgil’s old moniker: Paranoia.

Logan looked at Roman and Patton as to how they were processing this news. Virgil was Paranoia? Of all the things for Virgil to say, Logan had not expect him to say that. By the way Roman was looking at Virgil, Logan guessed that he was about to attack Virgil. After all, Virgil had admitted to being one of the dark magic users that had consorted with his uncle to take down Thomas and Queen Karen and helped murder King Robert. Roman had never told them how he had found out but Logan had guessed that Roman had seen Baron Novak talking with someone or had read through his personal belongings.

“You helped kill King Robert. You’re part of the reason my uncle decided to use dark magic!” Roman growled.

“No I didn’t. Do you really think I was ever there? No. Deceit may have told people about me, about my powers, but he never let me out of his sight. As for your uncle, I met him once in passing and overheard his conversations with Deceit. He made his own decisions to work with Deceit. No one forced him to do anything,” Virgil snapped.

“You’re a liar,” Roman snapped. “Why are you here?”

“That’s none of your concern. What does matter is that someone is trying to kill Thomas and his mother liked they killed my family!” Virgil yelled.

Virgil’s hands flickered with purple light, making the hairs of Logan’s arms stand up straight. Roman’s face went from anger to shock to fear in a matter of seconds. Patton stepped forward, in front of Logan and Roman.

“Patton!” Roman hissed, reaching for his sword.

“Roman, I’m fine,” Patton said calmly. “Put the sword away.”

“Patton. Please be-” Logan began.

“Logan!”

Logan shut up at the stern tone the younger boy was using.

“Deceit killed your parents, you used your magic to save Thomas and me, and you think he shapeshifted into the Healer,” Patton guessed grimly.

Virgil’s purple eyes were bright with anger. Logan resisted the urge to step backwards, away from Virgil. Surprisingly, the fire in his eyes went to their neutral annoyed glare.

“Yes. Deceit is the one who killed my parents which is why I left him. As to if he’s the Healer, I don’t know. It could be possible though I doubt he would make a trip for this. It’s probably someone else,” Virgil answered.

“Who? The only person who was known to work with Deceit was Baron Novak!” Patton exclaimed.

“There was someone the Baron mentioned who helped him. Someone named Re-”

“Remus. My older brother,” Roman informed.

“Roman, don’t confront him. We don’t know if-” Patton began.

“I don’t care about Remus. I want to know why he wants the Revival Lily,” Roman growled.

“He wants the Lily? That’s a new one,” Virgil muttered.

“Why is that new for Deceit? At least I’m assuming it’s Deceit,” Logan said.

“It is. Because Deceit has always been very adamant about using our powers only. The Revival Lily he thought of it as a myth but knew the incantation regardless. Those incantations are useful and can be used by a person with magic without the Lily, but the Lily harnesses the magic better.”

“I thought there was only one. The Healing Incantation,” Patton said, confused.

“That’s one. The other is the Hurt Incantation,” Virgil answers. “Only me and Deceit know the Hurt Incantation. He’s fought to find that spell which is the spell he uses to destroy the armies and kingdoms in his way. I’ve never used it, but I’ve used the Healing Incantation because that’s what-”

Virgil flatters. A somber look comes over his face. 

“That’s what meaning?” Roman asked.

“What my mother used to heal. Or at least to calm down people. And it was the lullaby she sang,” Virgil snapped. “Not everything is ‘dark’ Princey.”

“You have dark magic, don’t you?”

“I have magic. My father would lecture you. Since he isn’t here to give you a three hour lecture, I’ll do it simply. My father was adamant about there is no white or dark magic. It’s just a label people who magic or those who fear it to differentiate between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ magic users. My father said that magic is a tool, it’s neither good or evil. It depends on the person who has the magic and what they decide to do with their magic.”

Another great point and something Logan agreed with. Even though Logan never understood magic, he thought the notion of people being born with good or bad.

“Let me see Thomas. Maybe I can dispel the illusion or break the sleeping spell he’s in,” Virgil offers.

"Let's go then," Logan agrees.

"What?" Roman asks. "Do you think this is a good idea?"

"Roman, Thomas isn't appearing to get any better and it's concerning to believe that this Healer, who may be Deceit, or at least, under his influence, is tricking us all into believing that Thomas is fatally ill! So, yes, I do think this is a good idea!" Logan exclaims. "There's no other choice, especially with Picani visiting his fiancee right now!"

Logan looked at Virgil who was looking uncomfortable. Virgil noticed Logan looking at him, and regained his composure. 

"Let's go to the castle then," Virgil decided.

They all exited the shack and Virgil locked it then they walked to the castle, avoiding Borderline Lake. Roughly fifteen minutes later, they were heading up the first flight of stairs to Thomas's room. They had to duck past Queen Karen as she walked out of Thomas's room.

"Patton, go check if anyone is in there," Roman whispered.

"I'll go with you to make sure no one is magically concealing themselves," Virgil added.

The duo walked to the room and not even a minute later, they waved at the other two to come in.

"What's wrong with him?" Roman whisper-asks.

"I need to find out then I'll tell you," Virgil answers. "Close the window and then stand back."

Virgil steps forward, placing his hands over Thomas's body. As began to speak, purple light came from his hands.

"_Revelare quod sic, ostende mihi faciem veritatis!_" Virgil chanted.

The purple light from his hands encased Thomas in a cocoon and Virgil's eyes went from their normal vivid purple to black as he repeated the enchantment twice, his forehead beading with sweat.

"_Revelare quod sic, ostende mihi faciem veritatis; revelare quod sic, ostende mihi faciem veritatis!_"

Virgil gasped and slumped to the ground. They all rushed to his side, but he waved them off and said one last spell:

"_Verum monstrant,_" Virgil whispers.

Logan, Patton, and Roman look in shock as they watch Remus give Thomas a drink from a strange looking vial.

"What was that?" Roman asks as the vision fades. "In the vial?"

"The vial contains a very potent sleeping potion. Seeing how often this man-"

"Remus."

"What?"

"That's my brother, Remus."

"Oh. Okay. Seeing how much Remus has given Thomas and is probably giving him more, Thomas will need the Revival Lily in order to wake up," Virgil informs, getting to his feet. "I need to go find it and bring it back here."

"By yourself?" Roman asks.

"Yes. Why do you care?" 

Roman shifts his weight uneasily at first then looks at Virgil straight in the eye, brown meeting purple.

"Because I realized that I have judged you unfairly and I'm sorry. Please let me help you," Roman requests.

"Not without us, you're not!" Patton and Logan declare.

Virgil smiles, his eyes crinkling with humor.

"Okay then. Let's go then. I'll meet you three at the gate of the castle in thirty minutes," Virgil agrees.

"See you then," Roman promises.

The four manage to get out of Thomas's room without being seen and the other three make excuses as to why they're going to be gone (camping in the woods) and pack. Virgil is heading back to the castle when he feels Deceit near. He runs to the gate, finding Roman there.

"We need to go soon as possible. Where are the others?" Virgil asks.

"Right here," Patton says, holding Logan's hand.

"Why?" Logan asks.

"Deceit. He's near. If he finds out that I'm here, then we are all in danger! We need to go now!" 

The boys don't hesitate to grab two horses, Patton and Logan riding together and Roman and Virgil riding together, and ride off. 

Even as the Sanders Kingdom gets smaller, Virgil can feel Deceit. His gloved hands, running through his hair, petting him, holding him, but Virgil pushes the feelings aside. He's psyching himself out. He needs to focus on saving Thomas.

They stop after four hours of riding, having made good time and covered more than a third of their journey. Virgil offers to take the first shift, mostly to stay awake and keep his mind off Deceit.

"No. Get some sleep," Logan orders. "I'll take first watch."

"Okay," Virgil agrees.

He curls up next to a tree, curling in on himself and falling into a dream...

"Virgil, what a pleasure to see you," a voice croons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, another fun chapter! Thanks for reading! Here are the translations for Virgil's spells:  
Revelare quod sic, ostende mihi faciem veritatis: Reveal the enchantment, show me the truth.  
Verum monstrant: Show the truth.  
Don't forget to leave a kudos and comment for me down below! Until next year, watch Thomas's music video for Recipe for Me (or watch it again), be safe this winter holiday, take it easy and Merry Christmas guys, gals, and non binary pals!  
PEACE OUT! 😜


	10. Chapter 9: I Thought I Stood Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dream is a nightmare your enemy makes...which an ally saves you from

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there readers, here’s the first chapter of two!

Logan heard heavy breathing and he turned towards the sound. Logan watched as Virgil turned uneasily in his sleep, breathing heavily. For once, Logan wishes he could be like Patton and know what to do when one of his companions needed comfort.

Logan felt like he should do something, but decided Virgil was fine. Virgil needed rest, Logan could tell from the weariness in the boy’s eyes. Besides, how bad could his dreams be?

If Virgil could have answered:

_Very._

_Virgil runs from the voice, knowing who it is, but like his first attempt, he doesn’t get far before the owner of voice stops him._

_“Virgil, come here,” the voice orders, sending chills down Virgil’s spine._

_Virgil turned to direction of the voice and found himself facing Deceit._

_Virgil knew that focusing on Deceit being here would only send him into a panic, so he focused on their surroundings._

_They were in the middle of a forest, the same forest where Virgil had escaped from. Deceit walked towards Virgil, smiling. His black cloaked billowed behind him, shadows collecting behind him, making the elder seem more mysterious and sinister than usual. Virgil glared at his former friend._

_“How did you do this? I destroyed everything so that you couldn’t track me!” Virgil says, worried._

_Deceit laughs, amused._

_“Dream-walking is a good skill to have. And I merely had to fall asleep and then find you. And here we are,” Deceit croons, getting closer._

_“Leave me alone,” Virgil growled, backing away from him._

_“Is that anyway to talk to the person that took care of you?” Deceit purred, stalking towards him._

_He wants to yell and demand why Deceit wants the Revival Lily, but restrains himself. He can’t give any hints as to where he is or where he has been. For Roman, Patton, Logan, and Thomas’s sakes._

_Virgil backs into a tree as Deceit looms closer. He’s cornered now._

_“You killed my parents! You took everything away!” Virgil screamed._

_“I gave you everything!” Deceit snapped, grabbing Virgil’s shoulders. “I swore to protect you!”_

_Deceit plays with the purple in Virgil’s hair. Virgil flinches away at the cool touch of Deceit’s yellow gloves._

_“When did you do this?” Deceit asks soflty. “You look good with the purple.”_

_Deceit pushed the hair out of Virgil’s eyes, smiling. Virgil pushes away from the older man, slipping underneath his arms and straightens, scowling. Deceit sighs, exasperated with the younger boy._

_“What do you want?” Virgil growls._

_“Where are you?” Deceit demanded._

_“I’m not telling you! I don’t want to be with you anymore!” Virgil yelled. “I don’t want to be in that kind of life anymore! I didn’t want to in the first place!”_

_“And yet you stayed with me. Because I was the one you trusted. I was the one who protected you! I was the one who raised you! I was the one who taught you about your magic! I was the one who saved you from your house as it burned!” Deceit booms._

_Deceit’s words burn into Virgil. All of those things were true. Virgil would have died a million times over if it wasn’t for Deceit._

_Virgil remembers being trapped in his house, crying and screaming for his parents while choking on the smoke that filled the room. He remembers Deceit’s arms grabbing him and carrying him out of the house with him half-screaming, half-coughing for his parents. He remembers crying into Deceit, begging for him to go back and save his parents. Deceit had merely held him tighter._

_When the smoke cleared, Virgil ran in and saw his parents bodies, charred and barely recognizable. Deceit lets him grieve alone, allowing Virgil to get the few things that his family held dear, and bury his parents._

_Afterward, Deceit takes him to his castle, and begins to train him as his apprentice._

_Deceit hugs Virgil and for a moment Virgil lets him before getting away from him._

_“Leave me alone. I’m not coming back,” Virgil decides._

_“That’s not going to happen Virgil. I have someone looking for you. I don’t care how you come back, willingly or not, but I will have you back here. Where I can protect you!” Deceit growls._

_Deceit moves to grab him but Virgil eludes him._

_“Do not touch me!” Virgil snarls, hands glowing with purple fire._

_“Virgil, don’t you dare use your powers against me!” Deceit warns, both eyes flashing yellow._

_“Then leave! Stay out of my life!”_

_“Virgil!”_

_“**GO AWAY!**”_

_Virgil let loose a huge burst of power that sent Deceit sprawling. Virgil looked down at his hands. Deceit stood up, eyes blazing with anger._

_“Foolish boy!” Deceit hissed, lunging at him._

_Virgil blasts him away again._

_He’s tired, scared, and he can’t keep holding off Deceit for long before Virgil gets overpowered._

_Before Deceit could grab Virgil, Deceit is gone. And he’s in a different forest._

_Virgil blinks, confused. How did he do that? Then Virgil realizes that he didn’t do that. Then who-?_

_Virgil sees movement out of the corner of his eye. He sees a tall, black cloaked man with darkly tinted glasses drinking out of a tankard next to him._

_The man lowers his glasses to reveal chocolate brown eyes and winks at Virgil. He sit down next to Virgil and smiles._

_“You’re welcome kid,” the man says._

_“Who are you?” Virgil asks._

_“Getting right to it, are we? Sleep is the special name since I can manipulate people into falling asleep and their dreams blah blah blah. Real name is Remy and Damos, or Deceit as you know him, is my older brother,” the guy answers, drinking._

_“Deceit is your brother?”_

_“Yup. Who do you think gave him those tacky yellow gloves?"_

_ Virgil suppresses ans smile and hesitates to ask another question. This is _Deceit's_ brother who he knows nothing about and-_

_"Look, I know this sounds creepy and all, but I know who you are too Virgil. I know you don’t have any reason to trust me especially with Deceit as our only connection to each other, but I want to help you," the guy-Remy-answers._

_“Why?” Virgil asks._

_“Because Deceit wants us both and he’s going to put his plans for world domination on hold while looking for us. By looking for us though, he might actually gain control over all the Domains. He killed our older brother Kurtis ‘for’ me and he killed your parents, people who stood in his way to get the people he loves about. No matter what he has done to you Virgil, he _does_ love you and that’s even more dangerous than him wanting to kill you.”_

_“Thanks for the insight.”_

_“Anytime kid. Also, you’re looking for the Revival Lily, right? I live on the outskirts of the Cozart Kingdom, and I know where the Lilies are.”_

_“_Lilies_? There’s more?”_

_“Yes, but that’s better explained in person. Is anyone else with you?”_

_“Yeah. Three guys: Logan, Patton, and Roman.”_

_“Roman Novak? As in Remus Novak’s little brother? If so, be very careful. The two brothers are very different but that doesn’t mean that Remus isn’t protective of his little brother. He’s also, from what I’ve been looking around in his thoughts, is near the Cozart Kingdom, and the Sanders’ Kingdom best torturer, which is hidden from the general public. He’s killed at least fifty people in very different and gruesome ways. He’s not going to kill you though. He needs you for Deceit. They’ve struck a deal. I've been dream walking while we've been talking here;one of my unsung talents is multitasking.”_

_“Why am I not surprised? So you want us to meet you where?”_

_“There’s an weeping willow in the forest, the _only_ weeping willow, where I’ve made my home and which is near the doorway to the Revival Lilies. My fiancée is there too, so if he says I’m not there, go in anyway and wait for me.”_

_“Anything else?”_

_“Yes. You’re not alone Virgil. Trust those kids with you. They can help you. I know you want to hide and run, but that’s not going to do anything but lead Deceit to you. If you isolate yourself, the better he will find you. Make friends, start a family, so that people will know if you have been taken and will do something about it. Also, make sure that the Sanders and Cozart Kingdom guards don’t know you’re trying to see me. See you soon Virgil!”_

_“Wait. Why don’t-?”_

_“_Expergiscimini_."_

Virgil wakes up, gasping. He sits up to find Patton rushing towards him.

“It’s your turn for night watch. I can keep going if you want to-” Patton starts.

“No. I need time alone, get some sleep Patton,” Virgil smiles tightly.

Virgil stands up, wrapping his cloak around himself and positioned himself at the edge of their camp, his conversation with Deceit still playing in his head. And also the ending with Remy who saved him from his brother.

Remy had offered some good advice and information and Virgil would have to ask Roman what his brother looked like so he could be on his guard. Virgil turned away from the camp and began walking around the perimeter.

Meanwhile, Deceit was throwing things in his room, annoyed that he got ripped back to consciousness. He was so close to getting some part of Virgil so that he could find the young boy!

What stupid person would dare to-?

Deceit noticed a small piece of parchment on his desk addressed to him:

_Leave Virgil Connors alone._

_He’s no concern of yours._

_Fuck Off,_

_Sleep_

_P.S. Pronouns are he/him and don’t try to track me. It’s not going to work._

Deceit frowned.

Sleep? Who was that?

Obviously a new sorcerer who should learn to leave Deceit and Virgil alone; and also a very powerful Dream-Walker if he could rip Deceit out of his dreams. Deceit scowled. That means he’ll have to ward the castle even more and it was a pain in the ass to do warding.

Deceit sighed. But it was necessary if he didn’t want this to happen again. So he got to work on warding.

Meanwhile Remy sighed as he slumped against the trunk of the weeping willow tree.

That was the most tiring thing he has ever done.

Remy takes another swig from his tankard, letting the bitter liquid go down his throat as he walks back into his home on the edge of the Cozart Kingdom and in the weeping willow.

He had given Virgil enough time to elude Deceit for now, but that still leaves Remus, the person whom Deceit had hired to find Virgil and to get the Revival Lily for some reason.

Remy has a sneaking hunch as to what Deceit wants to do; why he “needs” the Revival Lily so badly. But he needs to be sure before he tells Virgil anything about Deceit’s plan and their shared past together...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
Expergiscimini means awake  
Keep on going! More about Remy in the next one!


	11. Chapter 10: I Thought I Was An Outcast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy reflects on his past and finding his powers, and ways of how to fall in love with a certain purple haired alchemist...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to you all for being patient with me and supporting both of my works! To those who are new, after reading this go check out my other work: A New famILY which is based off of Chemically_imbalanced oneshots! Now, happy reading!

Remy slams the door to his tree-house shut and sighs.

He could fucking feel Damos-_Deceit_ he reminds himself, _Deceit_-in that dream and leaving that note for him in the physical world had been exhausting. He hadn't gone into the castle that would have been suicide...for Sleep at least. As Remy, he'd probably get locked in a room somewhere.

The warnings he's given Virgil are only the tip of the iceberg. Remy isn't sure if he wants to tell him all the details.

Remy walks over to his desk and smiles at the drawing that he made of Emile, his fiancee, with happiness and helpfulness just pouring out of him. Remy remembers all those days alone and scared and bitter until he had run into Emile and that had brought them on a whirlwind of fun; but before that came the bitterness and pain and the constant running...

_Remy was so scared and breathless from running. His black leather coat is covered in dirt and his clothes are ripped and he’s starving. He hasn’t had a good meal in months. Not since his mother died and Kurtis disappeared after trying to find Deceit. Remy later found Kurtis in the dungeons of the Dark Kingdom and Remy remembers-_

_“THERE!” a voice booms._

_Remy runs and hides again, this time covering himself in the shrubbery and shadows._

_The Dark Kingdoms guard was close, too close, behind him but he didn’t see Damos, no _Deceit_, Remy reminds himself. _

_That half-faced scaled murderer was not his brother! He didn’t see Deceit with them, which worried him. What was he planning? Was Deceit going to kill him? Isn’t that what all evil villains do: kill their families?_

_Remy pushes out all memories of Deceit murdering his family and finding Kurtis’s mangled body in that dungeon with his eyes in his mouth. And Remy wonders if that was supposed to mean anything, but thinks better of it. It was just Deceit being even more sadistic than usual._

_As Remy listens to the loud voices and horses neighing, he thinks about his powers. Sleep manipulation and dream walking and something else that has him shooting out bolts of magic whenever he gets stressed or angry or scared. That last power is the one that gets him in trouble and the one that got the Dark Kingdoms’ guard on his trail. He’d been doing fine even though he’s almost been caught stealing from vendors and nobles at the different kingdoms that he’s been to. No kingdom that he’s been to has felt like a good place to lay low in. Not even on the outskirts. Right now he’s heading to the Sanders Kingdom, maybe he can stay there for a while..._

_Remy takes a breath and hides in the bushes as the thundering sound of hooves comes closer and closer. He almost breathes a sigh of relief when the guard runs off then he sees a figure in dark clothing and yellow gloves. Remy runs, but he stops when he reaches a large drop to a roaring river. Remy backs up, scared. He’s always hated swimming after he had almost drowned as a child even though he knew how to. Someone grabs him just as he’s about to consider jumping into the water._

_“Don’t!” Deceit exclaims, holding Remy’s wrist tight enough to leave bruises._

_“Let go of me!” Remy demands._

_“Remy, I’m not going to hurt you! I want you to come with me so that I can protect you and help you learn about magic!”_

_Remy is shocked. Deceit doesn’t want to kill him? Why?_

_“You’re my little brother and I want what’s best for you.”_

_Oh. That’s why. He’s the fucking baby of the family and Deceit still thinks he’s Remy’s brother._

_“I don’t want to be with you, not after you killed our family! You’re not my brother!”_

_“I am your brother and your only family! Those pompous idiots weren’t our family, especially not Kurtis. I know you saw his body, I think that was my best work, what do you think?”_

_“I think you’re fucking insane and that you should leave me the hell alone!”_

_Deceit sighs, exasperated but he hugs Remy tightly. Remy fights back tears and leaning into the familiar embrace. The arms that used to make him feel safe and loved now only make him terrified and angry._

_“Let go!” Remy exclaims, pushing at Deceit’s chest._

_“So, you were heading to the Sanders Kingdom, I’m guessing,” Deceit begins conversationally, ignoring Remy’s outburst._

_Crap. Now he’s going have to go to another kingdom._

_“No,” Remy lies, trying to duck out of Deceit’s hands which are now holding his face._

_Deceit rolls his eyes after checking for what Remy suspects for injuries _ _which he has none of._

_“You’re a bad liar Remy. You were going to be in that kingdom. And I thank you because now that’s the kingdom I’m going to take over next!” Deceit decides, an insane smile lighting up his features, placing his hands on Remy’s shoulders._

_Remy’s eyes widen at the sudden change in the man in front of him._

_“Don’t! Leave those people alone!” Remy begs._

_Deceit frowns down at him._

_“No, I will control the Domains Remy. If you won’t be a willing participant in this then I can keep you somewhere you can be safe!” Deceit growls._

_“I’m not going to be safe if I’m with you! You’re a monster!” Remy screams, trying in vain to get free; Deceit is stronger than he lets on._

_“Remy, calm down!”_

_“You don’t get to tell me to do anything!”_

_“Remy, don’t make me-”_

_“**I HATE YOU!**”_

_As Remy screams his last sentence, his anger, his grief, his anguish, rushes out like water released from a dam, and his magic bursts out from him and sends both of them sprawling. Remy doesn’t hesitate this time: he jumps into the water._

_For a second he’s weightless then gravity takes hold and Remy plummets down into the water. The impact takes the wind out of him. Remy breaks the surface, taking a gulp of air before going back under. He swims against the current since he sees Deceit running that way, his magic glowing yellow and trying to find him._

_Remy got to the other side of the river and runs far from the Sanders Kingdom to the Cozart Kingdom. He collapses on the ground, hidden by the low hanging branches of the willow tree that he’s under. Remy doesn’t care if someone finds him here. He’s tired._

_Remy falls asleep and when he wakes he finds himself on a bed in a room filled with papers and different jackets and other things tossed around the room. Remy sits up, and begins to walk around. Where is he? And who brought him here?_

_“Hi!” a voice calls._

_It’s a guy around sixteen wearing a light brown knitted cardigan, a stained white shirt, khaki colored pants, and brown boots. His light brown hair was dyed purple in the front and was kind of in his eyes and Remy resisted the urge to push it back and his hazel eyes, which were behind glasses with thick black frames, looked at Remy with concern._

_“Um, hi? Who are you?” Remy asks._

_“Oh! I’m Emile Picani, I’m an alchemist and you fell asleep in front of my house,” the man introduces himself._

_“Okay, I’m guessing we’re in the weeping willow then? That’s cool. I’m Remy,” Remy answers, meeting the man’s eyes with his own dark brown ones._

_“Where are you from?” Emile asks._

_Remy hesitates. This Emile guy seems nice but he doesn’t want to get him tangled with what’s going on with his life._

_“I heard you talking in your sleep about your brother Damos and the sorcerer Deceit and how they weren’t the same,” Emile admits. “Are you okay?”_

_“I’m fine. Thank you for helping me. I should leave,” Remy mutters._

_“Please, let me help. I’ve also been searching for my family. who might have been taken by Deceit, my younger cousin and his parents. They took care of me after my parents died and when I turned fourteen, I moved out and came here but I checked up on them from time to time. But the last time I went back, I found out that my aunt and uncle were dead and my cousin was gone,” Emile says. “I asked what had happened and when the person that I asked told me what happened, I knew it was Deceit.”_

_“I’m sorry. What makes you think it was Deceit?”_

_“They disappeared after having an argument with a guy who wore all black wore yellow gloves, which is what Deceit wears, right?”_

_“Right,” Remy agrees. “How can I help you and why would you want me to help you?”_

_“Because you seem like a nice guy. I understand that you don’t want to deal with Deceit or with your past, but you will have to eventually. We all have to face our problems.”_

_Remy stares at Emile._

_“Are you sure you’re not a philosopher?” Remy asks._

_“I’m a therapist. Being an alchemist is what most people ask me to help with though since I know how to fuse different metals and bend certain elements together,” Emile admits._

_Remy laughs._

_For the next eight months, the two formed a deeper bond while learning more about Remy’s magic, Deceit’s plan, his apprentice Paranoia, and Baron Novak who was his spy in the Sanders Kingdom. Emile had a shop there that he left in the care of his other workers and their apprentices when he traveled around or cane back to the Willow House._

_Remy had adopted the moniker Sleep for his way of “attacking” people, but he only targeted the people in league with Deceit and whoever Remy knew was a magic user with a dark purpose and got them in jail. However, there were several bounties on his head now with him wearing his new outfit: a black cloak, tinted glasses, black pants, and boots with a tankard in his hand._

_“What are you even drinking in that?” Emile asked one time. “It’s not alcohol, is it?”_

_“I’ll never say, but rest assured it is no form of alcohol,” Remy responded, drinking out of the tankard again._

_Emile rolled his eyes but smiled nevertheless. Remy felt butterflies in his stomach whenever Emile smiled and Remy wanted to ask Emile out on a date, since they both liked men, but he could never say the right think or Emile was too busy._

_“Would you like to go out tonight?” Remy asks on the day that they had become friends and when Emile had saved him._

_“Yes, where are we going?” Emile asks._

_“It’s gonna be a surprise.”_

_After they both got ready, Remy led Emile to a part of the woods where Remy had found something magical._

_“What is that?” Emile asked, kneeling down in the dirt to see the glowing plant._

_“I think it’s the Revival Lily, but there seems to have been seeds that were dropped by the flower which is why they’re in one huge group,” Remy answers, also on the ground. “Do you like it?”_

_“I do! This is amazing! How did you even find this place?”_

_“I was wandering in the woods when I saw this strange light and I followed it here. I wasn’t sure at first if it was the Revival Lily but then I reread the story and description was the same as what I saw.”_

_“What should we do with this?”_

_“Keep it a secret. We don’t need anyone else blabbing about finding the Lily, that might lead Deceit to us.”_

_“Good point.”_

_Emile picks a random wildflower and picks it then puts it in Remy’s hair._

_“I love you Remy,” Emile declares._

_“I love you too Emile,” Remy says back._

_As the two kiss, the Lilies glow slightly brighter than before but neither boy notices that, especially not Remy. Remy is too focused on the softness of Emile’s lips and how right it feels to be with him. Once they pull apart, they noticed the flowers and smiled._

_Soon the Revival Lily Patch is their secret spot and it’s where Emile proposes to Remy._

_“Will you marry me, Remy?” Emile asks, smiling at Remy’s shocked expression at the ring._

_“Yes!” Remy exclaims and kisses Emile after putting on the ring._

_After this though, both have to part ways due to the rumors of Deceit’s apprentice Paranoia now wandering around freely and Remy wants to check it out alone._

_“I’ll be back, I promise,” Remy says, kissing Emile. “I love you.”_

_“I love you too,” Emile says._

Remy is jerked out of his memories when Emile enters the house.

“Hey hon, what’s up?” Emile asks, kissing him on the cheek.

“We’re going to have company. Paranoia is no longer working for Deceit anymore. He ran off and Remus Novak has been hired to look for him and the Revival Lily to save Prince Thomas,” Remy answered.

“I suppose if they come to the door, I should open it even if you’re not home?”

“Please do. But I think I should be back after scouting out Remus and his team that are coming to the Cozart Kingdom to look for the Revival Lily.”

“They’re not going there. Not to our place.”

“They won’t. Only us and Paranoia, well now Anxiety, and his three companions Logan, Patton, and Roman.”

“Oh those three are a handful. What’s Anxiety’s real name?”

“Virgil. Like your cousin...”

“Do you think he could be-?”

“I don’t know. We’ll find out when he gets here.”

As the two settle down for the night, Remus smiles when he sees the gates of the Cozart Kingdom and he knows he’s close to getting everything he’s ever wanted for himself and for Roman, too bad he’s going to have to kill everyone here for it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, don't forget to check out my new work and to also press the kudos button and leave me a comment down below! Hope you all had a great New Year to kick of this new decade! Until next time, take it easy and have a good week!  
Also, any guesses as to what the bitter liquid in Remy's tankard is?.😜


	12. Chapter 11: Where I'm Going

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit realises something very important about Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit guys, gals, and non binary pals! Thank you all for getting this work to 101 kudos!

Deceit growls, annoyed, as he paces the floor of his study.

He had sent some of his soldiers to get him Sleep or at least directions where he could be and it had already been eight hours! Ethan, his snake, was wrapping around him hissing, sensing his agitation.

"Sorry friend," Deceit says to the snake as he walks back to his desk.

Ethan slithers off as he traces the map. 

The map of the Domains is on his desk, his territories glowing yellow while the other “free” kingdoms are glowing red. The two that shine the brightest are the Sanders Kingdom and the Cozart Kingdom. Both kingdoms have been a thorn in his side ever since he started claiming territory. They had even taken some of his territory and regifted it to the people who used to rule it. Only for Deceit to go right back in and rule the kingdom in a more subtle way.

Those Kingdoms were a integral part of the Domains. While the Sanders Kingdom controlled the roads, the Cozart Kingdom was known for their inventors and controlled the seas. Their navy was the most efficient and dangerous because their ships were equipped with better weapons and ammunition. Deceit wasn’t stupid enough to challenge them, at least not outright.

The nobility and common people of the Cozart Kingdom were very loyal to the royal family and it was taking Deceit forever to find someone who find anyone who had at least a concern with the way the royal family was running the kingdom. Any spy was definitely spotted in the Cozart Kingdom so that crossed off that idea; usually the punishment for spies was death unless it was for a certain reason then the person was let off with a warning.

If he had Virgil with him, Deceit could have used Virgil’s powers to make several powerful nobles nervous and plant the ideas of how they should be the one to rule and all that nonsense. Deceit had put a pin in trying to find someone for the Cozart Kingdom and focused on the Sanders Kingdom for right now.

Manipulating Baron William Novak had been too easy. That man was far too willing to sell out his own people and didn’t hesitate when Deceit jokingly suggested (well he wasn’t saying it as a joke, since he was wanting to test the man’s integrity) that the Baron destroy certain parts of the Sanders Kingdom.

When the Baron readily agreed, Deceit knew that the Baron had no moral code whatsoever, which bothered Deceit. At least with Remus, Deceit knew he had some integrity since he wanted the Queen and Thomas to live unlike his uncle who killed the King without Deceit's blessing or knowledge.

After Deceit was told this by a excited and clearly insane Baron, he began to plan on how to dispose of him which wasn't hard. Deceit had been the one to urge Roman to tell his father instead of hiding. The Baron being killed was a necessary part of his plan. The man was no longer useful but at least he could work with his nephew.

Yes, Deceit was a psychotic sorcerer who wanted to rule the Domains and kill anyone who got in his way, but he wasn’t without morals. He drew the line somewhere, usually far from where other people drew theirs, but it was a line he refused to cross.

Yet he crossed one line with Virgil that-

Deceit shakes himself out of that memory. He's not going to torture himself any further. Especially with Virgil...god does he owe that boy much more than an apology than what Deceit's done to him.

That's one of the main reasons he warns Virgil back. He needs to apologize and swear to never do it again, because he won't. He would rather die than ever do...that ever again! Deceit was going to tell him that in the dream, but Virgil got feisty and anxious, which irked Deceit and caused him to lash out. And that was how he was expelled from the dream by Sleep. Guess dream walking is out of the question since Virgil is now being "protected" by Sleep who is clearly a very powerful dream-walker.

The name did sound familiar, Deceit had probably heard about Sleep from one of the nobles he's worked with...

The door opens, jerking Deceit into reality, and a soldier walks in and gives him a piece of parchment.

“This was all we could get about Sleep. He’s a fugitive in several kingdoms, many where you have allies,” the soldier informed and quickly left.

Deceit unrolls the parchment and nearly drops it when he sees what’s on it. The bounty for this young man is two thousand gold pieces in the Dark Kingdom, but that’s not what surprises him. The portrait. He knows Sleep.

He knows the smirk that's on the boy's lips, he's seen that on his face several times. And the dark hair swept back, the creamy complexion, though Deceit's is marred by the scales. Even though Sleep's eyes are hidden behind tinted glasses, Deceit knows that it's-

“Remy, you foolish boy, what have you done now?” Deceit asks to the empty room.

Remy, his baby brother. The second person he wants back. The second boy he wants to protect and apologize to. The reason Deceit had even started on taking over the Sanders Kingdom was to find Remy, since he was heading that way when Deceit saw him last. But he's never found him so he went looking around for Remy in other kingdoms and that's how he found Virgil.

Deceit pushes more memories of Virgil out of his head and notices what is in his brother's right hand.

The sixteen year old is holding a goddamn tankard...Deceit frowns at that. Remy better not be drinking alcohol already. But looking at the picture gives him an idea. He can track Remy, after all blood is thicker than water.

He grabs the note “Sleep” had given him and runs to get a bowl. He takes off one of his gloves and puts a drop of his blood on a knife while standing in front of the map.

_ Please work,_ Deceit prays.

“_Ostende mihi locum fratrem meum,_" he commands.

The drop of the blood glows a brighter red and after a few seconds, it flies to the Cozart Kingdom. Deceit smiles, so that's where Remy's been hiding. He rushes out of the room, grabbing the pack that he always has ready and rushes to his horse, a fearsome black stallion. Ethan hisses his annoyance but settles himself and falls asleep. Deceit smiles at the golden scaled snake.

Deceit remembers finding Ethan in a ditch, hurt and alone. Deceit had cleaned the snake's wounds and the snake didn't leave his side since them, much to the discomfort of his parents and Kurtis. Remy thought it was cool how he had managed to help the snake. 

"I'm coming Remy," Deceit whispers as he urges the horse faster.

Meanwhile Remus is talking to King Mark and Daniel Adams, the Captain of the Royal Guard of the Cozart Kingdom. Both men are debating with Joan on where the damn Lily was and how long it would take them.

Remus suppresses the groan that wants to escape his lips as he looks through the story again. It's in the forest somewhere and it can only be found by the worthy and pure of heart and all that other heroic nonsense that isn't true. 

Remus walks to the window as he feels something buzz softly in his pocket. He opens up his pocket where the piece of magical parchment that Deceit had gifted him was. It's glowing softly with golden light which means he's written something.

_ Sleep is a warlock in the Cozart Kingdom. Find him, I'm coming to the Cozart Kingdom. Sleep knows where Virgil is and he's also my younger brother Remy, do not hurt him!_

_Deceit_

Remus smiles. He can work with this. He pretends to be looking through the different books and maps when he starts talking.

"Isn't there a sorcerer who lives near the woods? Sleep, right?" Remus queries innocently.

"Yes, but Sleep is a trickster. No one who has ever talked him has gotten a straight answer out of him," King Mark answers.

"I'll look for him," Remus offers. "He might be inclined if I tell him what's going on."

"Very well," Captain Adams agrees.

Joan stops him after the meeting.

"Promise me you won't hurt him," Joan says.

"I promise," Remus answers. "Good luck with your date!"

Joan blushes a little but nods. Remus now knows the real reason why Joan was assigned to be on this mission was because his fiancee Talyn was here. Remus walks down to the castle gate, careful to not be spotted. He walks to the edge of the woods and writes to Deceit asking where and when they should meet up. Remus gets a quick reply:

_Midnight tonight at the gates!_

Remus sighs. There goes his sleep schedule...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What fun that chapter was!  
Translation:  
ostende mihi locum fratrem meum: show me the location of my brother  
Don't forget to leave me a comment and kudos if you liked it or if you want to theorize what's gonna happen...


	13. Chapter 12: Where I've Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton begins to think about Virgil and how he can help him while brotherly trouble comes to boil...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is 5:00 morning here so this might be crappy, tell me if I need to edit anything in the comments! Happy reading!

Patton shifts his glasses nervously as they walk through the shadowy forest. Patton’s pretty sure he’s seen at least four spiders, which is four spiders too many. He made sure to stick in the middle of the group and away from the trees which contained the creepy crawly death dealers.

They’ve left the horses in the commoner stables, the fee paid and no sign that they were from the Sanders Kingdom in order to hide themselves from Deceit, Remus, and whoever else was working with him.

The horses seemed to be glad that they had a chance to rest since the boys had worked the animals pretty hard, riding from dawn till early afternoon.

“We need to go now!” Virgil had said when they had gotten up early.

“What for? Is there someone coming?” Roman asked, reaching for his sword.

“He’s going to. We need to leave,” was all Virgil answered with.

“‘He’, meaning Deceit?” Logan asked.

Virgil nodded.

“We need to go.”

The four boys rushed to break their camp and Virgil performed some magic so that no one (Deceit) couldn’t track them with magic.

They arrived in the Cozart Kingdom as the sun was going down slightly after reaching its peak at noon. They walked their horses to the stables and paid their fare.

Now as the sun went down, Patton, Logan, and Roman were following Virgil to the only weeping willow in the Cozart Kingdom.

When the boys had asked the stablemaster, a helpful and loud man, about the weeping willow, the man sighed and told them that the weeping willow was where (supposedly) Revival, the wife of the Righteous One, had died. Those who went there often heard the strange whispers from the beyond, many believing the voices to be the dead who were trying to come back. But the stablemaster dismissed the idea that the Revival Lily could be placed there.

“The Revival Lily however is placed somewhere else. Many have looked around the grave, which is downright disrespectful to the poor woman, for the Lily but never found it. You boys aren’t looking for the Lily are you?”

They lied, saying that a friend of theirs wanted to talk to them there. The stablemaster merely nodded and gave them the directions then went back to yelling at the stableboys to do their chores.

“And you said this was where Sleep, Deceit’s brother, told you to go?” Logan queried in a low voice as they walked to the forest, looking at Virgil.

Virgil doesn’t look back at them, but Patton can see Virgil tense up. When Virgil had told them Sleep, Deceit’s brother, had told them where the Lily was, they were all hesitant to believe him. Both Roman and Logan speculated that it could be a trap (which was strange since those two rarely agreed on anything), but Virgil dismissed the idea, saying that Sleep hadn’t seen Deceit in years and didn’t even claim him as a brother anymore. Not after Deceit had killed their parents and brutally tortured and murdered their older brother.

“Yes. I-I don’t want to reveal too much,” Virgil admits. “We’ve been over this. Just-just trust me on this, okay? Let’s go.”

_Trust me._

Virgil put a lot of emotion into those two words.

They had reluctantly followed their friend into the forest.

Well, Patton considered Virgil a friend, Roman and Logan were still on the fence about placing their trust in a “dark” magic user. Even though Patton still had his reservations about Virgil, Patton believed him to be a good person. Virgil had put on a dark persona to hide not only from Deceit, but his feelings too. Patton wanted to help his new friend, but Virgil wasn’t the most open person.

As the shadows grew longer and the night darker and colder, they trekked deeper into the woods, following Virgil who was holding the map. Patton shivered as it got colder, despite the fact that he was wearing a cloak.

The woods were getting creepier and darker the longer they stayed here. Patton wanted to ask Virgil to light a torch instead of relying on the purple fire that he had ignited in his hand. The purple light made Virgil’s face appear to be more gaunt and tired than usual. Patton was staring at Virgil’s face and almost bumped into Virgil when he stopped suddenly.

“This is it,” Virgil said, pointing.

A large weeping willow stood in their path, the moonlight spotlighting it, making the woods even more eerie than usual. Virgil walked forward, moving the branches and Patton and the others followed him. Virgil stopped suddenly, blinking rapidly.

“What’s wrong?” Patton asks.

“Nothing. It’s just-it’s just that this place feels...familiar. It feels safe,” Virgil answers.

Patton, Logan, and Roman looked at each other, half hopeful, half nervous. Virgil knocked on the trunk of the tree and a few moments later a man with dark brown hair with tinted glasses appeared.

“Virgil...and company, hi,” the man said.

“Who are you?” Roman asked.

“I’m Sleep/Remy. Call me whatever you want and come on in. The rest of you can introduce yourselves to me and my fiancée inside.”

They walked into the treehouse and Patton who was expecting a dark, creepy crawler death dealer infested shack, was pleasantly surprised when he saw a brightly lit, lived in home that was messy. The man navigated them to a cramped kitchen where another man was also sitting, also wearing glasses. The man turned and smiled.

“Hello boys,” Alchemist Picani greeted.

“I’m guessing you know them from the Sanders Kingdom,” Remy muttered into his tankard.

“What are you even drinking in there?” Picani asked.

“Peppermint infused seasonal depression. We’ll talk about it later. So who are you?”

Logan, Patton, and Roman introduced themselves.

Virgil smirked. Picani looked at Virgil and the shocked expression on his face was a surprise to say the least.

“Virgil?” Picani asked.

“Hi Emile, how-?” Virgil began.

Picani ran to Virgil and hugged him. To Patton’s surprise Virgil didn’t try to fight or get out of the older man’s tight embrace. Patton’s chest hurt slightly. What was-?

“How do you two know each other?” Logan asked.

“He’s my cousin,” both Emile and Virgil answered.

Oh. Well then...

“So, you two know where the Revival Lily is?” Roman asked.

“Revival Lilies. You might want to sit down before we continue,” Remy smiled.

As the boys listened to Remy and Emile’s story, midnight crept closer. Along with Remus who was getting closer to the gates of the Cozart Kingdom. Remus secured his lime green sash safely underneath his black cloak as he snuck past the guards flanking the gates. He had left the castle twenty minutes to midnight, despite the time to get to the gates was fifteen in the day, so he could have enough time to hide if necessary.

True to his word, Deceit was already there, dismounting his steed and leading the black horse to the dark woods.

“I haven’t been able to find him,” Remus admits.

“Good. I have though,” Deceit answers, breathless.

A golden scaled snake slithers and wraps itself around Deceit’s neck, and hisses at Remus, annoyed.

“Who’s this?” Remus asks.

“This is Ethan,” Deceit responds.

“Neat. What did you use to find your brother?”

“With this.”

Deceit shows him a map, which is glowing a deep red in the woods of the Cozart Kingdom. Remus smiles.

“How did you track him like that?” Remus questions, looking at the map in awe.

“Blood magic. Here, I’ll show you,” Deceit says. “You are going to have to give me some of your blood.”

After Deceit lit the night with some golden fire he had summoned with his hand, Remus obliged and recited the spell to find his brother. The single drop of Remus’s blood on Deceit’s knife glowed slightly in the firelight.

“Invenire fratrem meum,” Remus orders.

The blood drop levitates from the knife and goes to-

“The Cozart Kingdom?” Remus asks, confused. “Why would-?"

Realization then kicks in and Remus's already pale face becomes whiter.

"Oh no. Roman is here!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we thought I was gonna do some Deceit and Remy brotherly angst...  
Well, see y'all tomorrow and leave me a comment and kudos below!  
Translation:  
invenire fratrem meum means find my brother


	14. Chapter 13: It (Almost) Wasn’t Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Deceit plan to get their brothers while the others plan to thwart them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What’s up peoples! I hope you enjoy this insanity that passes for writing!

Remus wanted to scream in frustration.

They had been so close to getting everything perfect! He was on the team to “save” Thomas and find the Revival Lily and Remus had come up with his plan to kill his father! And then Roman had to come here and ruin it.

Oh god, that probably meant he knew that he was working with Deceit. That he had put Thomas in that sleep and probably that he was going to kill their father and it wasn’t fair that-

“Calm down Remus, Roman might have figured out most of that, but it doesn’t matter,” Deceit said, gripping his shoulders tightly.

Fuck.

Did he say all of that out loud?

“Yes, yes you did,” Deceit says, smiling.

“Sorry,” Remus apologized.

“It’s okay.”

Remus sighed, and looked at Deceit.

“It’s just isn’t fair; I’ve gotten to this fat, I’ve worked so hard to get here, and I’ve gotten everything ready, and I’ve made sure that Roman will never found out about this,” Remus said. “Now that Roman has found out, this throws a wrench into my plan to kill our father. With the addition of his two friends, Logan and Patton, who are close to Thomas.”

“Trust me, I know about life being unfair. I’ve lost my brother because of what I did for him. I love him, just like you love Roman. You can’t break a bond that strong, especially not with brothers,” Deceit said.

“I hope that bond doesn’t break. Roman is all I have. All the times I’ve-it doesn’t matter, we’ve got work to do. What’s our next step since we know where both of our brothers are?” Remus asked.

“We need to be careful from this moment on, and if we have to wipe their memories so that our plans can go on,” Deceit says. “If we need to, I can take care of Roman and his friends while you kill your father and take control of the Sanders Kingdom.”

“Should we go after them now?”

“The irrational, overprotective older brother part of me wants to say yes, but the slightly more sensible side is iffy on this,” Deceit admitted.

“May I ask why that is?”

“Because Virgil is there. And I need to apologize for...for what I did.”

Remus watches as Deceit’s cool facade flatters to a broken brother.

“What did you do to Virgil? Why did he run away? It isn’t just because you murdered his parents, is it?”

“Yeah. There’s something else...”

“What did you do?”

“I-I violated him. I raped Virgil.”

Holy fucking shit.

Never once in Remus’s insane imagination would he think that Deceit was capable of doing that.

“That is the biggest mistake of my life. I was angry and scared, and I wish I could take that moment back,” Deceit continues. “When Virgil left, I immediately started looking for him. I need to apologize. Even if we don’t bring him back, I want to say at least that.”

Remus grabbed Deceit’s face, one hand feeling the warm skin and the other on the cool scales on Deceit.

“Calm down,” Remus smiles. “We can do this. We are going to find our brothers and Virgil, explain what’s going on, get the Revival Lily, and fix the other kids’ memories so they won’t remember any of this.”

Deceit nodded. Remus lets go of Deceit only for him to kiss Remus. Now Deceit is the one holding his face, kissing him lovingly. Remus returns the kiss, opening his mouth to allow Deceit access. Even though they’ve already done this and more, Remus still feels a rush of adrenaline go through him as they kiss.

Meanwhile, Remy notices something on Roman’s wrist.

“Can I see your wrist Roman?” Remy asks.

“Uh sure,” Roman says confused.

Remy grabs Roman’s wrist and everyone, especially Roman, is shocked to find-

“Deceit’s mark,” Virgil breathes, eyes wide. 

Sure enough two miniature snakes that are intertwined are on Roman’s wrist.

“How the hell did that get there?” Roman demands.

“I thought Deceit’s symbol was golden, not green,” Logan points out.

Roman pales.

“It’s Remus. Green is his favorite color, and Deceit probably helped him with the spell which is why the snakes are green and-!” Roman begins.

“Fucking shit!” Remy swears.

They all turn to Remy.

“Love, what’s wrong?” Emile asked, coming to his fiancée’s side.

“Roman’s not the only one who’s gotten a summon from his brother,” Remy says grimly.

Virgil rubs his wrist absentmindedly and chews on his lower lip, thinking.

“What is it kiddo?” Patton questions.

“I know of a way to get those off. But the marks would have to be moved to a person who is willing and capable of magic,” Virgil informed. “Deceit used to tag me with his mark, and my mark, a storm cloud, would appear on his. Remus doesn’t have a sign yet, which is why you have Deceit’s sign.”

“But green,” Roman added.

“Yes, but green,” Virgil agreed. “The two of you don’t have any marks, which means they don’t have a mark on their wrists, but they can feel whatever emotion you’re having.”

“How do we switch?” Remy asked.

“Wait, you’re going to do this? It’s too dangerous Remy!” Emile exclaimed.

“I’ll be fine. I need a conversation with my brother that is long overdue.”

Logan turned to Virgil.

“Deceit told you all about this, didn’t he? Why?” Logan queries.

“Because Deceit wanted me to know that he was doing this to ‘protect’ me, and since we weren’t blood related, he would need my consent before doing the spell. As for family, blood is thicker than water. Your brothers don’t need consent. All they have to do is to say your name in a enchantment and the drop of blood that they use will pinpoint your location on the map,” Virgil explained. “Hopefully, this will only tell them that we’re in the woods, not our exact location.”

“Nevertheless, we should get out of here!” Logan reasoned. “How do you perform the spell?”

Virgil hesitated but walked towards Remy and locked eyes with the older boy.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Virgil asked.

“Yes,” Remy stated.

“Then repeat after me: ‘_Mark ad fratrem, ego dici tibi, in signum capio Libenter,_’” Virgil says.

“_Mark ad fratrem, ego dici tibi, in signum capio Libenter,_” Remy repeats.

The snakes on Roman’s arm glow a bright emerald and they slither onto Remy’s wrist with the other snakes and intertwine with the others.

Once the snakes had situated themselves, Virgil asked, “What should we do now? Remus and Deceit aren’t going to be far off, and they’re probably going to come for us next.”

“This close to morning? I know that they’re both together and up, but Remus needs to be at the Cozart Castle so that he can be with the others to look for the Revival ‘Lily’ and not be suspected of treason,” Roman stated. “Unless of course Deceit takes on both marks, then that would make sense.”

“We can split up; Emile, take Patton, Logan, and Roman to the garden, Virgil and I will draw out Deceit and Remus,” Remy decided.

“I agree with that,” Virgil confirmed.

“No!” everyone else yelled.

“I’m not losing you two!” Emile exclaimed. “I’ve only got to see you for a little bit Virgil, and I’m not going to lose you again!”

“Not to mention, it’s illogical,” Logan added. “Even though you two are magic users, Deceit and Remus working together will, most likely, take you two out.”

“We can handle ourselves just fine,” Virgil assures them.

“But what if you can’t? What if you get captured?” Patton worries.

“Pat, it’s going to be-”

“Don’t you dare tell us that it’s going to be okay Virgil!” Roman interrupts.

“Since when are you so protective of me?” Virgil demands.

“Because you’re our friend and none of us want to see you get hurt!”

Silence falls, but Remy speaks up.

“There is no other way. None that will work like you need it to. Emile can take you to the garden and take one Revival Lily then escort you two to the Sanders Kingdom to explain what’s going on and break Thomas from his sleeping curse-” Remy starts.

“We’re going to need Remus’s sash for that,” Virgil says. “Or at least rip it so the magic starts to weaken and then the Revival Lily will do the rest of the work.”

“Okay. We’ll rip some Remus’s sash so the magic will fail and then once Thomas is cured, alert your father, Roman to what is about to happen. Emile can help you will the spells to show them what’s been happening,” Remy concludes.

“I do not like this plan. It’s too risky,” Emile grumbles, twisting his engagement ring nervously.

“It’s the only plan we have,” Remy says.

“One that you came up with and that’s risky!”

“I’ll come back. I promise. Take them to the garden Emile and don’t try to follow us until you have one!”

Emile nodded. Remy went over and kissed his fiancée, long enough for the three boys to feel awkward.

“Come on Virgil, let’s go kick my brother’s ass,” Remy said, putting on his black cloak and tinted glasses.

“What are you drinking?” Virgil asked once they exited the treehouse and Remy started to drink from his tankard.

“I’ll tell you later when we’re not getting tracked by Deceit,” Remy promises.

As the two go deeper into the forest, Deceit and Remus are running towards their direction.

_Hold on Remy, I’m coming,_ Deceit thinks to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another cliffhanger for y’all to have for another week! See y’all tomorrow and don’t forget to comment and leave a kudos on this work and on A New famILY!


	15. Chapter 14: Then I Thought I Found It...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Deceit follow “Roman” and Remy as the four flower finders pick a Revival Lily, and the two magic people make a plan to thwart Remus and Deceit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: is writing this while family talks politics and about me  
My brain: what should we do?  
Me: be like Elsa  
Brain: and let it go?  
Me: no, lay low in our kingdom of isolation; come on man, don’t go for the low hanging fruit...

As Remy and Virgil lead their pursuers away from the true place of the Revival Lilies, Roman, Patton, and Logan have entered the garden where the Revival Lilies are. The forest becomes darker, but the dark isn’t frightening or oppressive. Instead it fills Roman with curiosity and wonder. They follow Emile who leads them to a dim patch of golden light, the Revival Lilies.

Each Revival Lily is the same. All have golden flowers with a deep violet center and long green stalks. The Lilies cling to each other, sharing their life force with each other and the other plant and wildlife in the forest.

“They’re beautiful,” Patton breathes.

Logan mutters an agreeing comment. Roman couldn’t help with agreeing with the two nerds as well.

“They are,” Emile smiles. “This is where I proposed to Remy. That was the happiest day of my life.”

“Congratulations,” Logan says.

“Thank you. Let’s focus on getting a Lily. You don’t want to grab just any Lily, you must wait for the Lily to reach out to you,” Emile says. “Only one of you may choose a Lily, but the Lilies will choose which one of you to be its Holder.”

Logan and Roman exchanged confused looks, but Patton nodded. Roman racked his brain for why the Revival Lily would be so touchy about who picked it. Couldn’t anyone pick one and walk off?

“No, and you said that out loud,” Emile says.

“Oh. Sorry,” Roman says quietly as Logan and Patton walk together.

“It’s fine. But not anyone can get a Revival Lily; Revival Lilies are special flowers. They can know what kind of person you are just by getting near them. They’ll fade and become dark when someone of an evil soul or under the influence of evil magic users in order to protect themselves from having their power abused. Granted, there was one person who abused the power of the Revival Lily, the Warlock.

“Those who are, well, the norm, the Revival Lily will glow slightly, subconsciously encouraging them to do good. They won’t miraculously change into a miracle worker, but they will change people’s lives for the better. For those of good and noble souls, they will glow bright and they will allow the person to pick them for their purposes.”

“Oh,” was all Roman said.

Emile laughed softly.

“I’m sorry, I tend to ramble,” Emile says.

“No it’s fine. I just didn’t know what else to say to that. It was helpful though.”

They watch as Logan tries to reach for Patton’s hand but ends up accidentally falling and Patton helps him up. Patton looks at Logan while the taller boy is examining the flower but looks away when Logan sees him staring.

“How obvious can you get?” Emile mutters, stifling a laugh. “How long have those two been pining over each other?”

“Since we were twelve,” Roman answers.

“I wonder if me and Remy were like that. I would pine after him but he wouldn’t pick it up.”

“Yeah you two were definitely like that. I don’t even need to have know your history to know you two were definitely disaster gays.”

“Oh like you and Virgil aren’t the same way.”

Roman tripped over a root and stumbled before he could stand up. Emile looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh.

“No, I-I don’t like Virgil like that,” Roman stammers.

“Sure. But as his older cousin, if you hurt him, I will fight you,” Emile warns.

Roman nods and-

“Roman, Emile, come look!” Logan calls out.

Roman and Emile run over to Logan who is observing Patton in a large patch of Revival Lilies. The golden light that surrounds Patton is almost blinding, but Roman can see the surprised look on Patton’s face.

“The Lilies, I’ve never seen them glow that bright before,” Emile admits. “Patton, pick the one that seems to call to you.”

Patton obliges, stooping down and gently picking a flower which is petite, but glows with power and a voice inside of Roman begins to whisper about what he should do concerning his brother and Virgil.

“It’s beautiful,” Patton whispers.

“It’s not the only thing that’s beautiful,” Logan says.

Patton looks at Logan who tries to hide his beet red face. Patton smiles and walks over to Emile who carefully puts it in a white silk bag.

“I need to go find Remy and Virgil,” Roman says. “And I need to do it alone, Emile do you have anything to help-?”

“They’re on the far side of the kingdom, you can get there by exiting through that side of the patch,” Emile says, pointing to a part of the woods where the Lilies have made an arch.

“Thank you!” Roman yells as he runs off.

Meanwhile, Remus runs towards the dots that are his brother and Deceit’s brother Remy. Remus doesn’t care why those two are together, but at least this takes out some of the problems they have. He’s given up everything, becoming a rogue and secretly betraying the kingdom he serves in order to get the life he wanted for Roman. He’s working with a known dark magic user and liar, but trusts him completely. They both trust each other.

Remus wonders what the other guards are thinking since by now they know he’s not in his room. Most likely they think he’s gone after Sleep, which is technically true. They’re going to get the Revival Lily without him, but he can still kill them all as they travel back. He doesn’t want to kill them, but he has to. And most of the people on the party with him (besides Joan) are rude assholes who gamble and squander themselves on stupid shit like alcohol and sex. Remus doesn’t do any of those things mostly because he doesn’t like doing that and Roman would’ve never wanted to be near him if Remus had done that.

For a fucking madman, he sure did have a lot of guidelines.

As they get closer, Deceit explains what they have to do.

“We will have to come from behind and knock them out. But knowing my brother, he’ll know that we are going to do this and intercept it,” Deceit whispers.

“Roman also isn’t going to go down without a fight. The real problem is where are we going to put them,” Remus muttered.

“I’ll keep them with me. Do you still have those cuffs?”

“The magic dampening ones? Yes.”

“Good. I’ll put them on Remy while you get your brother.”

“How did they know we were following them?”

Deceit pauses, thinking about it.

“They probably sensed that we were after them and are getting away from the others,” Deceit reasoned, holding Remus’s hand. “We will get them all though. We haven’t come this far to trip on the finish line now.”

Remus smiles.

“Alright, we’re close to them now. They’re getting closer,” Remus noted, looking at the map.

Suddenly Remus began to wonder was this a good idea, confronting his brother like this. Roman, oh god, Roman. What is he going to say? How could he bring himself to hurt his younger brother like this? Remus looks over at Deceit to see that he’s fidgeting with his gloves, clearly agitated about seeing his brother.

Remus tries to calm down. It’s going to be fine. Roman is going to listen to him and agree that what he’s doing is the right thing to do.

_There’s no way he’s going to think that. It’s not going to work._

Remus stops and so does Deceit. Their brothers are getting closer.

“We’re going to wait here for them,” Deceit decides. “And plan something.”

_A plan that’s not going to work._

Okay. Since when did he start thinking that? Deceit looks at Remus.

“It’s going to be fine,” Remus says, reassuring them both.

_Is it really?_

“I know. I just don’t know why I’m so-” Deceit stops.

“What?” Remus asks.

“Why I’m so _paranoid_.”

Virgil looks down from the tree where he’s been observing Remus and Deceit’s progress.

Well, he’s been found out now. He smirks at the annoyed and anxious expressions on their faces, on Deceit’s face. Revenge was sweet.

“Virgil’s here. Or he’s close, I can find him,” Deceit says.

Now he’s got to get out of here. Virgil concentrates and he pops up near Remy who’s a couple feet behind him.

“Holy shit!” Remy breathes, clipping his tankard to his side. “That was terrifying.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Virgil whispers as Remy hangs his ring on a cord underneath his tunic. “They’re getting closer. Deceit knows I’m here along with you and ‘Roman.’”

“That’s great. Are you ready to face him?”

“No. I never wanted to see him again, but if it means not being stuck with him, I’ll see and defeat him now.”

Remy smiles. Suddenly they hear movement and Remy gets in the open while Virgil hides in the shadows. Deceit and Remus appear ten feet away from Remy. Remy clenches his jaw as Deceit steps closer.

“Remy?” Deceit says.

“Deceit,” Remy snaps.

“Where’s my brother?” Remus demands.

Remy smiles faintly, amused.

“Roman? I don’t know. Can’t your map tell you?” Remy snarks, raising an eyebrow.

“It says he’s here,” Remus says evenly. “Where is my little brother?”

“Somewhere else. I don’t know where but I took his mark that you placed on him,” Remy says, showing his arm where the two pairs of snakes are.

Remus makes a sound likes he’s been punched.

“You took off the enchantment, how?” Deceit asks.

“Magic. I’m self-taught Damos,” Remy snaps.

“That’s not who I am anymore,” Deceit says, glaring.

“And I’m not your little brother anymore and yet you insist that I am.”

“Because you are!”

“I had two older brothers. Kurtis and Damos and they are both dead. You killed them you fucking asshole.”

Silence falls, tense and uneasy. Virgil wonders if it’s worth it to just attack now when-

“Where’s Virgil?” Deceit demands.

“I’m not telling you even if I did know. You hurt him. I don’t blame him for not wanting to see you,” Remy answers.

“I don’t either. I want to apologize to him.”

“Is that what you were doing when I ripped you from his dreams? Apologizing? Because what I saw was something different. You hurt him and you were going to hurt him again.”

“I didn’t mean to! Remy, please come with me. I can keep you safe with me.”

“No, you’ll keep me caged. I don’t want that so fuck off.”

“Remy, please!”

“I said fuck **_off_**!”

Remy screams the last word and sends Deceit and Remus flying. Remy backs away from the two men and begins running to the direction of the far side of the kingdom, away from where the others would escape. Virgil jumps down from his hiding space and follows Remy.

“How did you do that?” Virgil asks.

“I have no idea,” Remy admits. “But I do know that if we don’t get those two away from the others, this will be for nothing so come on!”

Before they could get too far, Deceit teleported in front of them and Remus was behind them. Virgil’s hands erupt in purple fire and his purple eyes are filled with rage when he looks at Deceit. Before Remus and Deceit can utter a word to calm them, manipulate them, or whatever else, Remy and Virgil launch into action, Remy taking Remus and Virgil attacking Deceit. Deceit barely manages to dodge Virgil’s attacks.

“Virgil! Calm down!” Deceit orders.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do anything!” Virgil snarls.

Deceit stumbles back like he’s been slapped. Those were Remy’s exact words from two years ago. Two years of regrets, of anger, of fear for his brother. He’s not going to mess up this time. He lashes out with golden light, trying to tie up Virgil. Meanwhile Remus and Remy are fist-fighting, both fighting dirty. Literally. They are covered in leaves, twigs, mud, and things that look like mud that they would not like to found out what it is. Remy subtly rips Remus’s sash and ducks a punch and delivers a brutal punch to the ribs that never connects because Remus grabs Remy’s arm. Remy growls in annoyance, and kicks behind Remus’s knee. Remus grunts in pain and loosens his grip on Remy which is enough for him to escape.

Remy runs as fast as he can to help Virgil, but Remus stops him again. Remy is slammed onto the floor, the breath knocked out of his lungs. Before Remus can put a cuff on him, something, no, _someone_, tackles him, getting him away from Remy. Remus is just surprised as he is when he sees-

“Roman?” Remus gasps.

“Remy, go help-” Roman begins.

“Virgil?” a familiar voice says.

Deceit appears, holding an unconscious Virgil in his arms. Without warning, Remus grabs Remy and shoves a cuff on him. Remy sinks to his knees, feeling his magic shut down, causing his eyesight to go black for a second. A magic dampening cuff, he realized. Remy knew how to get it off so when he regains his eyesight back he can-wait, why can’t he get up? Why can’t he move?

He sees Deceit take a needle out of his neck and groans. Deceit shushes him, stroking his hair, pushing it out of his face. Cleaning off the dirt and other stuff on his face calmly while Roman and Remus fight, like nothing is happening.

“It’s okay, ssh, it’s okay,” Deceit soothes when Remy tries to move away from Deceit’s warmth which is making him want to go to sleep.

He hears a scuffle, Roman yelling at his brother. Remy watches Roman and Remus fight while Deceit brings Remy close to him, also cradling him in his arms with Virgil.

Remy watches helplessly as Roman struggles against his brother, pulling and scratching at his arm.

“Roman...Roman, Roman! Stop fighting me!” Remus orders.

“No! Let go of me!” Roman demands.

Remus sighs as he pulls Roman closer to him, putting a hand over his younger brother’s mouth. Remus injects something into Roman’s neck which causes Roman to go slack. Roman keeps fighting though sluggishly, weakly pulling at Remus’s arm.

“Calm down Roman, everything is going to be fine,” Remus says calmly. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

“Same goes for the two of you, Remy, Virgil,” Deceit’s voice croons as Remy begins to black out.

Remy can do nothing as Deceit summons a wagon and puts Virgil, Roman, and Remy in it. He does the one thing he can do: sleep. Maybe he can-

Deceit watches as Remy’s head droops, laying next to Virgil which makes him smile. Both of his little brothers, together at last. His family complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well Patton is the softest piece of fluff there is and I just wrote that, but a cliffhanger. This chapter was a pain to write, I had so many ideas for how this could go, but I stuck with this one. Anyway, see y’all tomorrow! If you liked this work don’t forget to leave me a comment and kudos.   
(Also I love the comments, y’all are amazing! ❤️)


	16. Chapter 15: A Dream That I Could Share

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Deceit try reconnect with Roman and Virgil (respectively)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooo what a week. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Virgil wakes up from his dream groggily. He’s struggling to push the details out of his mind, but they keep bombarding him.

His head is pounding and it hurts to move. The first thing Virgil notices is that he is not in the woods. There’s something soft underneath him-a bed?-and he can sense that something, someone, is watching him. Virgil groans as he tries and fails to sit up so he can see his surroundings.

“Are you alright?” a familiar voice asks.

No no no. Please no. Not here, not with him. Not again. Virgil slumps down again, closing his eyes, trying to block everything out. He can feel the coldness of the magic dampening cuffs which thankfully don’t have chains attached to them (yet). The memories of how he got here begin to plague him...

Virgil remembers fighting, igniting stuff with purple fire, spreading anxiety to infect Deceit but it didn’t work. As Deceit lashed out with yellow whip, Virgil dodged all the attacks, jumping and ducking out of the way. Eventually, Deceit grew tired of the game and tackled Virgil. He remembers Deceit’s tight grip, keeping him in place as a needle was plunged into his neck. Then he lost consciousness.

Deceit moves closer, placing a gloved hand on Virgil’s back, stroking him softly. Chills go down Virgil’s spine and he shivers. Deceit’s hand doesn’t go anywhere else but his back, but Virgil doesn’t like Deceit touching him. Memories of his punishment begin running through his head. Deceit’s voice crooning in his ear, the tears that were falling from his face, the pain...

Virgil involuntary arches his back like a cat when Deceit goes to the middle of his back. Deceit laughs softly, amused.

_No no no no._

**Stop!**

“Stop,” Virgil says out loud, softer than he would like.

To his surprise, it’s enough. Deceit stops stroking him but he does make Virgil sit up and look at him. To those who weren’t able to see past his cool, menacing facade, Deceit looked intimidating and powerful despite the dirt on his face and clothes. But Virgil saw the tiredness in Deceit’s two colored eyes, the tightness in his shoulders that showed that he hadn’t slept in a long time. Had Deceit-

“I’ve been looking for you for three weeks Virgil! What were you thinking, leaving like that?” Deceit demands, grabbing Virgil’s face gently, looking for what, Virgil assumes, injuries. “You could’ve gotten hurt!”

“You already hurt me! I didn’t and I don’t want to be with you. Not after you killed my parents, how you hurt me, and certainly not when you came into my dreams!” Virgil snaps back, pushing away and stands up.

Deceit stops touching his face and sighs.

“I’m sorry for what I did, invading your dreams. I’m very sorry that I hurt in...that way,” Deceit says. “I’m sorry I rapped you.”

To say Virgil is surprised would be an understatement. He thought that Deceit was going to hurt him like that again and that he would be powerless to stop him.

“What I did was unforgivable and I know you may not ever forgive me for the things I have done, but know that I am truly sorry,” Deceit says. “I just want what’s best for you.”

Bullshit. Deceit’s lying.

“I don’t believe you,” Virgil grumbled. “You lied to me about everything! You told me what I was doing with you was good! But I was hurting people and I don’t want to go back!”

“Virgil what I’m doing is to keep you and Remy safe!” Deceit protested.

“We’ve taken care of ourselves just fine! I don’t need your protection, I’m not a kid! Why do you care so damn much about me?”

“Because you’re my little brother Virgil and I want what’s best for you!”

“I’m sure that big brothers don’t go after their little brothers sexually,” Vigil growled.

“Virgil, please. I’m sorry-”

“No you’re not! Quit lying and you want what’s best for you! You just want my powers to help you take over the Domains and I’m not going to help you!”

“Virgil, just listen-!”

“**SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!**” Virgil screams, voice dropping to an unnatural pitch.

“Virgil Connors, don’t you say something you’re going to regret,” Deceit warns, hissing at him.

Virgil steps back, away from Deceit and closer to the cold stone wall, but still glares at Deceit. He’s not going to back down even though he can’t match Deceit without his powers. But his confident facade is reaching its end as Deceit’s black cloak comes closer, engulfing him like it did when Deceit had captured him.

“Leave me alone!” Virgil demands, trying to hide the tremor in his voice.

“Ssh, it’s okay,” Deceit says. “I’m here Virgil. I’ve got you.”

At that, Virgil breaks as Deceit wraps him in his arms. He sobs as Deceit consoles and apologizes to him.

Meanwhile, Remus is having a poor time with Roman who is resisting his advances to help.

“Roman, let me see your arm,” Remus says.

“I’m fine,” Roman answers, stubbornly keeping his left arm away from Remus.

Remus looks at his brother’s arm which has a long scar on it and the scar was still covered in dirt. Roman winced as he backed into the stone wall. Seizing his chance as Roman is distracted, Remus cleans the cut much to Roman’s annoyance.

“I can do it myself Remus!” Roman protests softly.

“There,” Remus says, ignoring Roman as he bandages the wound.

Remus hears Roman mumble something close to thank you and smiles.

“You’re welcome Roman,” Remus says. “C’mere kid.”

“No!” Roman groans as Remus grabs him and continues his inspection. “Remus!”

“What are you doing in the Cozart Kingdom?” Remus asks.

Roman flinches.

“N-nothing,” Roman lies.

“So nothing means you weren’t here about the Revival Lily?”

“You put the enchantment on Thomas! I wanted to help him!”

“With Paranoia, Deceit’s apprentice, and Sleep, his younger brother? Interesting companions little bro. I thought you would have been with Logan and Patton.”

“You’re working with Deceit like Uncle. Why?”

“Because he can help us Roman! How do you think our uncle got caught? Deceit did that! He knew what kind of man our uncle was when he was willing to kill innocent people so he got rid of him. When we take over, the Queen and Thomas will still manage the kingdom, but we will be the ones in charge.”

“What?”

“Yes Roman, Deceit isn’t as bad as you thought him to be. He wants to help people.”

There must have been something in his voice because Roman looked at him strangely.

“What?” Remus asks.

“He hurt Virgil,” Roman said. “And you think he’s a good person? Remus, please I don’t want this.”

“I know. Deceit has apologised to Virgil and Remy is still asleep,” Remus informed. “And I know you don’t want this. But you need this. I know what’s best for you.”

“Like how Father knows what’s best for you?”

Remus clenched his fists and Roman tries to shuffle away from him. Remus grabs Roman’s shoulders tightly and makes Roman look him in the eye.

“The General is blind. He doesn’t know me, his eldest, like a son. Only as a solider who has failed him because I dared to do something different!”

“You-” Roman began.

“I know what’s best for you Roman. I’m the one that raised you while the General concocted plans to expand the Sanders Kingdom while Mother prattled on with the other women and devised plans to marry us off! I know you want to be a soldier and you can be! You can do so many great things! I will deal with the General and Mother eventually, but now I need you to stay here and trust me.”

“Trust you? How can I trust you? You were working with Deceit to dethrone Thomas and his mother and you-you’re going to-” Roman flatters.

“I’m going to what?” Remus demands.

“Kill our parents,” Roman whispers not looking at Remus, voice trembling.

Now it’s Remus’s turn to flinch. Maybe he shouldn’t have told Roman about what he was going to do to their parents. It would have been kinder to just kill them then tell Roman what he did and why he did it. Remus reaches out for Roman who shuffles back, clearly trying to hold back tears.

“Roman, please look at me,” Remus whispers.

Roman shakes his head and Remus sighs.

“Roman. I’m sorry, but you have to trust me and know that this is the best thing for you,” Remus pleads.

“No it’s not!” Roman cries. “It’s good for you! You want to kill our parents, not me! I love them Remus and I love you but I’m begging you, please, don’t do this! Don’t kill them!”

“You can’t change my mind Roman. I’m doing what’s best for you!”

“Quit saying that!”

“It’s true and you know it! Roman-!”

“I hate you!”

Those three words ring through the room, silencing both brothers. Roman looks shocked that he said that while Remus is hurt. Roman doesn’t mean that. Roman is just tired and in shock. He doesn’t mean it!

“I do mean it and you said that out loud,” Roman whispers.

“Roman, please calm down,” Remus says, walking towards Roman carefully.

“Are you going to kill me?”

That stops Remus dead in his tracks.

“What?”

“Well, are you?”

Remus grabs Roman softly and tightly as his younger brother struggles and cries. Remus strokes Roman’s hair and whispers:

“I will never kill or hurt you. You are my little brother and I love you. You may think that I’m doing something awful or evil, but I will always come back to you. I will never trick you. I will not lie to you. I love you and protect you always because you’re my baby brother and I love you.”

Roman was numb to the soft, soothing touches and words. Remus was going to kill their parents and Roman was powerless to stop them.

As the two pairs of brothers held each other (or one was holding the other), Remy woke up and began taking off his bonds.

As he gently picked the locks, Remy began thinking about the different dream messages he had sent Emile, Thomas, Joan, and the Queen of the Sanders Kingdom. Each one warned about Deceit and Remus and what they were planning to do. For Emile, Logan, and Patton, Remy urged Emile to keep going and get to the Sanders Kingdom, he would be fine. As for Joan, Thomas, and the Queen, he told them about the Revival Lily and that Logan, Patton, and Emile would be delivering it. Also that Roman was with Remus along with himself and Virgil, the boy who saved Thomas and not to worry because he was going to get them away from Deceit and Remus.

Remy sighed with relief when his magic slowly began returning when he undid the locks but left the cuffs on to avoid suspicion. His relief was short lived when he saw where he was. The dark, oppressive stone walls that surround him, the soft bed that was underneath him, and the other familiar sights of his-

“_Home_,” Remy whispered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to leave me a kudos and comment and check out my other work: A New famILY! See you tomorrow!


	17. Chapter 16: All My Sweetest Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emile goes against Remy's wishes and Virgil wants to get out of his room...for once

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI GUYS GALS AND NON BINARY PALS! Thanks for waiting this long and I really hope y'all enjoy it. Happy reading!

Emile had never felt so nervous in his life after he had received that dream message from Remy, telling him that Deceit had captured him.

Emile wanted to go and save his fiancé but Remy made Emile promise that he would deliver and protect the Revival Lily and Thomas until Remy returned with Virgil and Roman.

_“I want you to promise me that you’ll stay and protect them! Deceit’s preparing something with that Lily, and I don’t want you to be on Deceit’s list,” Remy had told him, messing with his engagement ring._

_“I can handle him Rems, let me save you and the others!” Emile begged._

_“No! I can get us out of here, I just need some time. Thomas has two more weeks until the illusion goes critical. I should be back before then.”_

_“You _should_ be? Not would be? Remy, I don’t know-”_

_“I’ll be fine! So will Roman and Virgil! I’ll see you soon love.”_

Emile had woken up gasping, tears falling down his face, and a million thoughts running in his head. He hadn’t been able to go back to sleep and spent the rest of the night worrying about Remy, Virgil, and Roman.

Three days had passed since that dream message, and Emile was getting nervous. He had already told his side of the story to the Queen and General Novak, who had also received dream messages from Remy.

“We need to get my boys,” Novak declared. “Do you know where they are?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t,” Emile said. “Otherwise, I would be out there.”

“We have the Lily, what’s stopping us from breaking Thomas from the illusion?” Queen Karen asks.

“Remus has the illusion tied to an object as long as it’s intact, the Lily’s magic won’t work. Roman will help Sleep and Anxiety break the illusion,” Emile explained. “What we have to prepare for is Remus sneaking in as himself or as Healer Duc. Warnings have also been given out to the Cozart Kingdom as well.”

“Thank you Alchemist Picani,” Novak said. “Even though I disapprove of what my youngest son has done to find help, I’m proud of him for being loyal to his friends.”

“As for Anxiety,” Queen Karen interrupted, “he’s Paranoia?”

Emile hesitated. What Virgil did as Paranoia wasn’t as widespread as Deceit, but what Virgil has done earned him a reputation for being the bad guy.

“He was, yes,” Emile admitted. “Anxiety left Deceit after finding out Deceit had taken drastic measures to make him his apprentice.”

“Then why-?” she started.

“Your Majesty, as much as I would like to tell you, I can’t. That’s up to Anxiety if he wants to tell you how he saved your son and left Deceit,” Emile said firmly. “I’m sorry.”

Queen Karen merely nodded, still worried. Emile turns to Logan and Patton who are at Thomas’s bedside.

“You didn’t tell her that Anxiety is your cousin,” Logan noted.

“Why would I? We have bigger things to worry about than my familial relations,” Emile answered.

“Fair point. Any news from Remy?” Patton asked.

“No. He says Deceit has him. I can’t standby and wait helplessly while my fiancée is with two madmen!” Emile exclaims.

“Go,” Logan says.

“What?” Patton and Emile exclaim.

Emile looks at Logan strangely. That was the most impulsive thing he has ever heard Logan say. Logan blushes slightly, but regains his normal logical demeanour.

“You care Roman, you have known us forever. Virgil is your cousin and it’s natural for you to be protective of him after what has happened. And Remy is your betrothed, and you should rescue him instead of staying here!” Logan reasoned.

“I’ll go,” Emile decides.

Logan looks shocked.

“Really? Do you even know where they are?”

“I do actually. There at Remy’s former home where he lived with his family...and where Damos became Deceit and killed Remy’s parents. In the Dark Kingdom,” Emile answered. “Thank you Logan. I’m going to come back with them. I won’t let anything bad happen and I’m going to rip that sash.”

“Go get em tiger!” Patton cheered. 

After Emile had packed and was setting off for the Dark Kingdom, Emile began to wonder how he was going to get everyone. He didn’t care about Deceit or Remus, Emile cared about his friends and family. With a shudder, Emile realised that Deceit would soon be a part of his family when he married Remy.

As Emile trekked closer and closer to the Dark Kingdom, Virgil was having trouble being back with Deceit.

They had been stuck with Deceit for twelve days now, and the clock was ticking. Thomas was running out of time. The journey from the Dark Kingdom to the Sanders Kingdom was week at the least but with Deceit and Remus tracking them, it would take longer. Virgil wanted to find his friends, but Deceit had confined Virgil to his room so he couldn’t get out.

Virgil had only heard arguments from Roman and Remus, so Virgil guessed that Roman was alright but he hadn’t heard anything about Remy and Deceit wasn’t offering any details. From the dream communications Virgil had with Remy (something he still did not understand since their powers were blocked), Remy was fine but he was also facing the same offer Deceit had given Virgil: to join him so that he could keep them “safe.”

Bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit.

But Virgil couldn’t deny that Deceit was genuinely sorry for what he had done to Virgil and that Deceit cared for Remy and Virgil. And Remus. Virgil could tell immediately that those two had it going on. Virgil was actually happy for Deceit because he had found someone as crazy and as (somewhat) moral as he was.

Virgil was still anxious which wasn’t a surprise because he had several panic attacks since he had first arrived here. Virgil had calmed himself down mostly. For that, he was grateful the power dampeners were on because when he had a panic attack, he would lose control of his powers. Virgil had a big panic attack the first time he realised that he was back with Deceit, in Deceit’s home, once again. He was still freaking out.

Virgil didn’t like being confined in his room. It was one thing when he isolated himself, but it was quite another when Deceit forced him to. Virgil had done everything to try and get out of his room other than for meals where he briefly saw the others, but to no avail. Virgil was debating if he should start messing with the dampeners so he could get out of here.

“Virge?” Deceit called.

Virgil scowled.

“Let me out,” Virgil growled.

“You want out of your room?! That’s a first,” Deceit smiled.

“Shut up! You know what I meant! You’re imprisoning me in my room so that I don’t escape? That I’ll eventually want to come back and be with you? Fat chance!”

“Virgil, I know your upset, but-”

“Why do you want the Revival Lily?” Virgil demanded.

“I don’t. It’s for Remus so that he could save Thomas,” Deceit answered. “You know how I feel about the Lily Virgil. However, I won’t deny that it will give our powers a boost.”

“_Your_ powers. I don’t want anything from you. You’ve lied, cheated people out of their homes, and hurt people!”

“Glass houses Virgil,” Deceit crooned. “Haven’t you done the same?”

“I never killed anyone to get what I wanted!” Virgil seethed.

Deceit stiffened. Virgil took a breath to calm down.

“What I did, the people I killed, are none of your concern! They were nobodies, they-”

“So you’re calling your family nobodies? My parents nobodies? My parents cared for you when you were injured! I cared!” Virgil screamed.

“Virgil, your parents, I had to. They were holding you back!” Deceit countered. “After their deaths, you became better at magic, you should thank me.”

“No, they were trying to keep me safe! You’re not even sorry you killed my parents! And why should I be thanking you? Because you ‘saved’ me from the fire you started? Did you even stop to think about what you were doing and how it was going to affect me? Did you even care?”

“Virgil, I did care!”

“No you didn’t! Quit lying to me!”

Deceit moved to put his hands on Virgil’s shoulders, but Virgil pushed him away.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Virgil, calm down,” Deceit whispers.

“Shut up and leave me alone! You are just a selfish lying asshole who thinks possessiveness is love! I don’t want you to teach me or care for me! I don’t need you!”

Virgil knows he’s struck a nerve when Deceit stiffens and shadows wrap around Virgil.

“Really? You don’t?” Deceit says, his voice dangerously soft.

Virgil’s blood goes cold at that tone of voice. Deceit only used that voice when he was really angry. Virgil has heard this tone of voice when Deceit’s enemies piss him off and when Deceit kills them. Virgil looks down, not meeting Deceit’s eyes. Virgil tries to calm down.

_In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Repeat._

“You do need me Virgil whether you want to admit it or not,” Deceit croons as the shadows force Virgil’s head up.

Virgil closes his eyes. He wants it to stop. Something about Deceit’s words and voice is unnerving him, making him even more scared than when Virgil tried to run off the first time.

“Virgil, look at me.”

Virgil shakes his head. He doesn’t want to look up. He doesn’t want to know if Deceit is going to look at him for the last time before he kills him.

When Deceit touches him, Virgil breaks. His eyes go wide and he’s hyperventilating, he can’t get enough air. Everything is so far away now, he’s back in that burning house. Coughing on smoke, dying.

_Mom? Dad?_ he says.

Deceit is saying something but Virgil can’t hear it. He can’t hear-he can’t feel anything!

Wait. He can feel something. He can feel two arms holding him. One hand is on his back and the other is stroking his hair, calming him down. Instinctively, Virgil relaxes into the hold. Virgil hold onto the person who’s holding him, crying and shaking.

“Not again! Not again!” Virgil says.

“Ssh,” a voice says. “Breathe. You’re safe. You’re here with me. I’ve got you.”

Virgil takes a shuddering breath and realises he’s holding onto Deceit. He wants to let go but his body is weak from the panic attack. As Virgil slowly regains his senses, he realises that Deceit is holding him in his arms on Virgil’s bed, tears in his eyes and that Virgil’s head is laying on his chest.

“D-Dee?” Virgil whispers in the same way when he had a panic attack and Deceit helped him through it.

“I’m here,” Deceit answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooof...poor Virgil. And Deceit and Remy haven't had their brotherly bonding moment yet...


	18. Chapter 17: Every Hope, Every Feeling...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for Remy to reconnect with his big brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *makes distressed sounds in writer troubles* I swear...writers block is a bitch! That combined with everything that’s happening with the coronavirus and college goin nuts I finally had time to write! Well enjoy this piece of insanity!

To say that Remy felt scared would be an understatement. He had never wanted to come back here especially not after he found Kurtis’s body decaying, blood and organs spread out on the floor, and his eyes in his mouth. Remy had nearly screamed when the eyes rolled out of Kurtis’s mouth when Remy accidentally moved the body.

Oh gods, the smell of the dried blood and decomposing guts made Remy want to retch, but he managed to get out of the prison.

Remy scowled as he forced those thoughts out of his mind, he had to get out of here and be with Emile again. He wasn’t going to let his overprotective, psychopathic brother stop him either. Remy had been holding in his magic but it was getting harder and harder for him to not outright attack Deceit. Remy looks down at the fading green and yellow snakes and sighs with relief.

Deceit won’t be using any blood magic anytime soon. Blood magic, though powerful, was dangerous. Sorcerers who used blood magic seals on their homes was one thing, but for two family members, blood magic was difficult. If blood magic was used wrongly, it could hurt both the spell caster and the person the caster was trying to track. Deceit had taken a very big risk, a risk Remy realised, that he would have never done unless he was truly desperate.

As for the sleeping manipulation of his magic it hadn’t been affected by the power dampeners and the The cuffs didn’t affect his sleep manipulation magic because they weren’t the dominant power that the cuffs could detect. Remy had learned this from another sleep manipulator, Somnus who Remy met when he escaped Deceit the first time. Somnus was one of the few people that Remy actually looked up to. And the first person who was actually a stable person in Remy’s life before Emile.

Somnus, an older wizard who was a sleep manipulator, told Remy that sleep/dream manipulation was a very rare power and many sorcerers relied on their magic to help them broadcast dreams to others. True sleep manipulation was more subtle. No magic dampener could detect it, and with practice, a sleep manipulator could find and (sometimes) change memories, and all sleep manipulators had one extra power. Somnus’s was elemental magic and Remy’s was defensive magic. Remy had left Somnus after the old man died and that was also around the same time Deceit started looking for him in earnest.

Later on, Remy had gotten out of several sticky situations that way, dream messaging Emile to help him. Which he did. Just not to rescue him, Remy didn’t want Emile to be on his brother-_Deceit’s_ hit list.

Remy had reached out to the others in dreams, trying to figure out where their rooms were and if Remus and Deceit were near them.

Unfortunately, Remus was sleeping in Roman’s room and Deceit was making sure Virgil got sleep and stayed with Remy.

Remy closes his eyes, sighing.

Remy heard footsteps coming closer and assumed his position: sitting on his bed, trying to ignore his brother (or Remus whenever he dropped by randomly). Deceit opened up the door and sighed.

“Rems, come on,” Deceit says, “you can’t keep doing this. I just want to talk.”

“Then talk then,” Remy snaps. “I’m not stopping you.”

“And I want you to listen to me Remy!”

“Why should I? So you can deceive me into doing whatever you want? Fat chance.”

“Rem. What’s wrong?”

“Other than you being near me and being locked in my room? Nothing. You can go away unless you’ve decided to actually use your brain and let me go!”

Deceit smirks.

“What?” Remy demands.

“You’re more determined to get out of here than the others. Why is that?” Deceit asks.

_Because I have a fiancée you asshole!_ Remy wanted to scream.

“Because I don’t want to be with you! I don’t want to be in this house where you killed my family!” Remy answered, standing up, facing his brother.

Even with the hat adding a few inches to Deceit, Remy can tell that they’re the same height.

“Really? That’s all?”

“You don’t believe me? You weren’t there for me when we buried our parents, Kurtis was! You were off plotting to get whatever you wanted.”

“Do not mention him Remy.”

“Who? Kurtis?”

“He’s not your brother, I am! What I did was for you.”

“You wanted to kill him, don’t tell me that you killed Kurtis for me! That you killed my bro-”

“_**THAT FOOL WAS NOT YOUR BROTHER!**_” Deceit roars in anger.

Shadows swirl around them, engulfing the room in darkness and the only brightness are Deceit’s gloves. Remy looks at his brother in fear as he seethes in rage.

“**_You considered a man who thought you were nothing, thought you were worthless, thought you were powerless, as your brother? You thought that Mother and Father cared for you? They wanted to disown you because you weren’t showing any magical ability!_**” Deceit hisses, his voice going to an unnaturally low pitch, walking towards Remy. “**_I convinced them not to! I was the only one who believed in you! I taught you everything, I gave you everything!_**”

Deceit’s changing his form, changing into his father then his mom then Kurtis. The hateful look on each person’s face isn’t like them. Remy knows that his family would’ve still loved him even if he didn’t have powers. He didn’t want to reveal his powers at all because he didn’t want to be held to some impossible standard for his magic.

“And this is the reason why I don’t want to stay with you and why I don’t consider you my brother!” Remy snapped.

Deceit’s sighs and the shadows fade. He looks at Remy and lets out a slow breath, trying to calm down, his eyes still blazing with anger.

“Whether you like it or not, you’re staying here and I am your brother!” Deceit snaps, going back to his normal voice.

“Tell yourself that. Just leave me alone!”

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Tell me why you want to leave so badly. Who are you wanting to get back to? Don’t look so shocked Remy. Who do you want to go back to?”

“I’m not going to tell you!” Remy says, but his facade is decaying, he can’t hold it together for much longer. 

“Remy...tell big brother who you’re dating.”

“You’re going to hurt him if I tell you!”

“Him?”

Remy flinches.

Shit.

“So who is this guy you’re dating, hm?” Deceit asks innocently.

“I’m not dating him!” Remy exclaims.

Shit! Why did he say that? He mentally kicks himself and tells himself to shut up. He’s going to get Emile killed.

“Oh, have you not told this guy you like him Rem?” Deceit smiled. “Pity now you won’t be dating-”

_I’m engaged_! Remy screams in his head.

Or so he thinks. Remy looks at the shocked look on Deceit’s face and he begins to internally panic.

“Wh-what? You’re sixteen! You can’t be-” Deceit stammers.

“Engaged?” a familiar voice asks.

Remy prays that this is all a bad dream as he looks at the scratched up and dirty face of his fiancée Emile Picani.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: okay Deceit asking Remy about his reason to leave. ‘Tell me why...’  
My brain:...  
Me: Don’t you dare  
My brain: TELL ME WHY...AINT NOTHING BUT A HEARTACHE  
Me: no...  
Brain: TELL ME WHY...  
Me: AINT NOTHIN BUT A MISTAKE TELL ME WHY I NEVER WANNA HERE YOU SAY I WANT IT THAT WAY  
Me: goddamnit...


	19. Chapter 18: Love And Trust And Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton and Logan worry about their friends and Logan finds something interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You would think I would have ideas for this, but nope! This work and the other one I'm working on, I've had a huge writers block. That little fic  
that I've made was a small spurt of energy. Well, enough talking! Enjoy the chapter!

Logan and Patton were sitting next to Thomas’s bed on opposite sides, the Revival Lily glowing gold softly. Thomas no longer looked like he was on death’s doorstep, but instead like he was in his current state: in a deep sleep.

Emile’s leave had the Queen and the General act more protective than usual. Both Logan and Patton, after telling their story, had received a stern lecture from their mothers and from the Queen.

“I respect your loyalty to my son, but please, you should have told us,” Queen Karen said. “I would like to meet Anxiety when he arrives.”

Patton and Logan spent most of their days in Thomas’s room in silence, waiting for the others to return and take the spell off of Thomas. Many times, Queen Karen had made them sleep several times, forcefully taking the boys to their rooms or put them outside so they could get some fresh air. But they would always return to Thomas’s room after breakfast or whenever no one was watching them.

Patton’s parents had made the irregular appearance while only Logan’s mother appeared. Logan’s father was out of the kingdom and was coming home soon.

Logan knew that he and Patton were being irrational about being near Thomas, but after what they had heard and seen from Remy and Virgil, they weren’t taking any chances. The Lily that they had must be protected at all cost.

They had been here for two weeks now, with no word from Emile or the others, which worried them both.

The only thing that kept them from trying to find their friends was that the Revival Lily and Thomas needed to be protected. Something that Logan reminded himself constantly. It would be stupid to run off after what they had done to get the Revival Lily that they had picked. Where Logan complimented Patton, if Roman and Emile weren’t there, Logan is certain that he would have kissed Patton.

“Do you think they’re going to be okay?” Patton asked softly.

Logan looks at the younger boy. Despite the bags under his eyes and messy hair, Patton is still more beautiful than the Revival Lilies themselves. Logan quickly pushes the distracting thought away so he could answer.

“Yes,” Logan answered simply. 

_Really? Just yes?_ Logan berates himself. _You’re supposed to be more eloquent than this Logan!_

Patton nods in response. Logan walks over to his friend and looks at him in the eye.

“Patton, I know that you’re nervous about the others, especially Roman and Virgil, but they’re strong. They will come home and Thomas will wake up,” Logan promises.

“Thank you Logan,” Patton smiles sadly. “I just wish we could do something.”

“We are doing something. We’re protecting the Lily and Thomas, which is very important. I want to go out there and find our friends too, but that would be putting the safety of the Lily, the kingdom, and Thomas at risk.”

Patton merely nods.

“Patton, there’s something I want to tell you,” Logan says after silence falls.

“Yes?” Patton asks.

“Patton, I-”

Whatever Logan is going to say is cut short by Queen Karen’s entrance. She sighs when she sees the two of them.

“Back again?” Queen Karen smiles.

“We have the Lily, we’re not ever going to get it out of our sight,” Logan explains.

“Understandable. But once everything has gone back to normal, you two will have to get out more.”

“Yes Your Majesty,” both boys answer.

“Any news from Emile?” Patton asks.

“None. But Joan is leading a party to protect the roads coming from Deceit’s roads to the Sanders Kingdom so if they see anyone, they can get home safely.”

Logan should feel reassured about the security measures taken, but instead he feels scared. More people for Deceit or Remus to pose as or to take control over, more people that the others are going to have to be wary of. Logan is tempted to tell the Queen to call off the soldiers, to bring them back, but decides against it. They all know that the only two sorcerers that could help them and were willing to stand up against Deceit, were captured, and they needed a safe passage to the Sanders Kingdom.

The Queen leaves again, and Logan looks at Patton who is sitting once again, at Thomas’s bedside.

“I’m going to go to the library, see if I can find anything else about Thomas’s condition,” Logan says. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay Lolo,” Patton answers.

Despite himself, Logan smiles at the nickname.

As Logan walks to the library, he thinks about the Lily and what powers it has. From what he can recall from the legend, it can heal sickness with an enchantment and destroy with another enchantment. Logan, along with everyone in all of the kingdoms, knew the healing incantation, because doctors used it to soothe their patients and many parents sang it as a lullaby.

Patton had sung the healing incantation to Thomas. The song didn’t seem to do anything except for making the Lily glow.

Just as Logan was about to enter the library, General Novak stopped him. Logan looked at his friend’s father. His dark hair was streaked with grey and his brown ice were unlike either of his sons, hard and cold and filled with weariness. His navy uniform with a silk red sash, is decorated with military medals, which are worn proudly, but they don’t gleam with their usual shine.

“General Novak,” Logan greeted just to break the silence. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Logan, I-I have found some books from Remus’s office. Books about the Lily and other magical objects. Would you care to look at them?” Novak asked the boy.

“Yes sir,” Logan answered.

Logan followed the General to his office in the castle where maps, papers, weapons, and random pieces of armor were scattered about. The General walked to his desk, moving pieces of parchment and books to random places. Logan suppressed the urge to start organizing and cleaning up the office. Logan hated messiness, but he could tell from by the way the General navigated the room, he knew where everything was.

“Here,” Novak said, handing Logan a large satchel bulging with books and other pieces of paper.

“I’ll return these to-” Logan started to say as he shouldered the bag.

“No. Keep them. I don’t want them back in my house,” Novak snapped. “Remus and my brother brought this stain upon my family. I will not have its taint any longer. Search through their notes, see if you can find anything.”

An uneasy silence falls between them. Logan isn’t sure whether or not to leave. As General Novak rubs his temples and sits down behind his desk, Logan sees how tired the older man is. Other emotions are flickering on his face. Just Logan turns to leave, the General speaks.

“How-how was Roman when you saw him last?” Novak asks.

Logan turns to face the General and is surprised (though Logan hides it) to find tears in his eyes. Logan hesitates at first, not sure to tell the General that both of his sons had fallen for sorcerers. Roman would claim that he only wanted to go so he could see Remus to fight, to talk, or to do whatever, but Logan knew the truth: he cared for Virgil.

Logan’s not exactly sure how or when the attraction for Virgil started, but Logan knows that it should be Roman to tell his father about Virgil.

“He was fine. Roman wanted Patton, Picani, and myself to get here safely. Roman thought that he, Sleep, and Anxiety could hold off Remus and Deceit just long enough so we could get away,” Logan finally answers.

General Novak nods and Logan leaves the poor man alone. Logan debates going back to Thomas’s room to show Patton the books, but decides against it. He wants to check out the books by himself first, see if they have anything worth showing. Logan goes back to the library, to the secluded corner that he loves to read and hide from people.

Logan sets the large bag of books on the desk and pulls out one.

_Time for to see if this is worth anything,_ Logan thought ruefully.

Three hours of reading about insane sorcerers talk about the powers of the Lily, where it could be, where it couldn’t be, speculations of what the Lily could do, and-

“Finally!” Logan whispers when he reaches the pages he’s been looking for.

The pages about the different incantations of the Revival Lily.

Logan reads the notes about the healing and hurt incantations.

_Both of these incantations are very powerful. While the Healing Incantation can be used without the Revival Lily, only one of the four incantations must have the Revival Lily to work. Unfortunately, the incantation that I speak of is the Hurt Incantation. This incantation is too powerful to do without the Lily and the Lily sends out spores of shadows, sickness, pestilence, and sometimes death. The wielder of the Lily must hold onto it, so the damage may be controlled. If the wielder does not do this, everything will be destroyed, including the wielder himself._

_As for the other two Incantations, they are not known as well as the other two, but they are still powerful. The Sun and the Moon Incantations can be used on their own, but it will tire out the user. Unlike the other two, these incantations can manipulate the surroundings. If used with the other incantations (Healing with Sun and Hurt with Moon), then they can overpower anything. Darkness can triumph over light or light can banish darkness._

Logan stares at the page in shock. Two more incantations? Logan reads down to where all four of the Incantations are listed:

_Healing:_

_Flower gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fates design_

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine_

_Hurt:_

_Wither and decay_

_End this destiny_

_Break these earthly chains_

_And set the spirit free_

_Wither and decay_

_End this destiny_

_Break these earthly chains_

_And set the spirit free_

_Sun:_

_Power of the sun_

_Gift me with your light_

_Shine into the dark_

_Restore our fading sight_

_Rise into the dawn_

_Blazing star so bright_

_Burn away the strife_

_Let my hope ignite_

_Let hope ignite_

_Moon:_

_Crescent high above_

_Evolving as you go_

_Raise what lies beneath_

_And let the darkness grow_

_Bend it to my will_

_Consume the sunlight's glow_

_Rise into the sky_

_And let the darkness grow_

_Let darkness grow_

It takes all of Logan’s willpower to not say the words out loud, in fear that he might trigger the magic somehow. After jotting down some notes, shoving the books in the bag, Logan ran back to Thomas’s room.

“Patton!” Logan exclaims breathlessly, bursting into the room. “I have something to tell you!”

“What is it?” Patton asks.

For the entire day, Logan tells Patton about the books and they read them together and take notes together.

Neither boy notices how Thomas is struggling, his face tight with emotion, like he’s trying to wake up from a nightmare. The Lily glows ever so slightly a brighter gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I will hopefully updating this soon.   
One more thing:  
I have tumblr now, so go follow me there. I haven't done a lot, but I might in the future.  
https://p3rv3s1tt3r.tumblr.com


	20. Chapter 19: They’re Done, They’re Gone, They’re Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A daring escape from Deceit’s castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update? What! Got my creative juices flowing today!

Meanwhile, Emile and Remy and fighting off Deceit and Remus as they try to find Roman and Virgil.

“Remy, get down!” Emile yelled to his fiancée, pulling him to the floor as a blast of golden light comes at them.

“Now that’s no fair!” Remus cackled. “Come now Picani, we’ll let you leave if you just leave our siblings here!”

“Never!” Emile growled.

“I can agree with that,” Remy agreed.

“You will come back!” Deceit growled.

Emile and Remus grabbed hands and ran off. As they dodged and hid from the attacks, Remy remembers how they got into this mess.

_“You and Picani?” Deceit had said incredulously to Remy when he had seen the ring on Emile’s finger._

_“Yes,” Remy answered softly, hiding his annoyance at Deceit’s tone of voice._

_Deceit holds Remy close and Emile frowns. Deceit glares at Emile, trying to scare the other man. But Emile holds his stare._

_“An alchemist? Really Remy?” Deceit chided, stroking his little brother’s hair while sneering at Emile._

_“Let go of my fiancée,” Emile orders._

_“Emile, go!” Remy urges, dodging Deceit’s hand._

_“See, even he wants you to leave alchemist. So go now,” Deceit hissed._

_“Remy, we need to go. Please-”_

_“Emile, just go before something happens!”_

_“Remy, come with me!”_

_“I think not. I am Remy’s only surviving family and you didn’t think to ask me for permission to marry my little brother, so my answer is no. I won’t let Remy-”_

_Remy snaps._

_“You won’t let me?” Remy hisses._

_“You sound just like me,” Deceit smiles._

_“I am nothing like you!”_

_With that, Remy lets loose a huge burst of power, sending Deceit sprawling. Remy takes off the power dampening cuffs, grabs Emile’s hand, and runs out the door._

_“REMY!” Deceit bellows._

_“I am in so much trouble,” Remy muttered._

_Emile begins to say something when-_

_“You bet,” Remus declares, stepping in their path, eyes narrowing. _

_Remus takes a double take when he sees Emile standing next to Remy._

_“Picani, what are you doing here?” Remus asks._

_“Getting my fiancée, cousin, and friend back you imposter,” Emile answered. “Who did you have to kill to get that spot in my shop?”_

_“How did you manage to use magic with the cuffs on?” Remus asks, ignoring Emile._

_“I didn’t, I unlocked them,” Remy answered._

_“Clever boy,” Deceit crooned, coming from behind them._

_“You didn’t answer my question Remus, who did you kill?” Emile growls._

_“No one. Surprised?” Remus smirks._

_“Yes actually.”_

_“Well now alchemist, you have two choices. Leave willingly or leave in pieces,” Deceit threatens._

_“Why do you dislike alchemists so much?” Remy asks._

_“They are charlatans. Regular mortals using science and claiming that they are equal to us: the ones who have magic in our blood,” Deceit answers. “I will not let you marry him.”_

_“Well I don’t give a flying fuck about what you want for me!” Remy snaps._

_“I would listen to your brother snake face,” Emile snaps._

_“Choose your next words very carefully _alchemist_,” Deceit says in a low voice, his voice deadly calm._

_Remy grits his teeth as he and Picani go back to back, both ready to fight. Remy slides a knife from his sleeve. Deceit laughs._

_“I’m going to have to keep an extra careful watch on you when this is done,” Deceit notes._

_“I’m leaving with Emile, Roman, and Virgil,” Remy snapped. “I don’t ever want to come back here!”_

_Deceit laughs._

_“Oh you will,” Deceit promised. “Whether I bring you here or if you come on your own accord, you will come back.”_

_“And my little brother isn’t going anywhere. Roman will be with me,” Remus says._

_“None of us want to be with you! We want to live our lives away from the two of you!”_

_“You can try to get out of this castle, but we will get you. As for you Picani, we have something special planned for uninvited guests who think they can marry my brother!” Deceit growls, hands glowing gold._

_“Still sore about that?” Emile says, kissing Remy._

_Remy isn’t the only one surprised. Deceit and Remus lower their weapons as Emile moves away._

_Taking advantage of their pursers shock, Emile smashes two smoke bombs on the ground._

_“Let’s go!” Emile tells his fiancée._

_Emile grabs his hand and they run off, trying to find their friends._

_“You just had to kiss me and piss my brother off, didn’t you?” Remy says, both exasperated and amused with Emile._

_“Of course.”_

While Remy and Emile are trying to find Roman and Virgil, Roman was picking at the lock on his door.

Roman cursed when he cuts himself with the fork he stole from the dining area. He managed to hide it from Remus when they went back to his <strike>holding cell</strike> room.

Roman wanted out of this castle, away from his insane brother so that he can warn <strike>their</strike> his parents that Remus is planning to kill them.

Roman temporarily loses coordination in his left hand.

Roman remembers the horrible feeling of being helpless and small in Remus’s arms when he accidentally told Roman what he was going to do.

After that moment, Remus spent the night with Roman until he went to sleep or when he pretended that he was asleep.

“Come on!” a familiar voice yells from above.

Emile?

He starts to pick the lock in earnest when he heard Emile and Remy’s voices. Roman almost let out a triumphant cry but stopped himself. He didn’t need for Remus to catch him. Or Deceit.

Roman shudders.

Deceit really unnerves him.

He’s met Deceit and talked with him a couple times, but Roman just feels nervous every time they’re in a room together.

Roman runs off, finding his sword and pack not to far from the room he was confined in. He runs towards the sounds of Remy and Emile’s voices, careful to stay hidden in case he runs into Remus or Deceit. Roman doesn’t look when he rounds a corner and he bumps into-

“Emile!” Roman whispers.

“Roman,” Emile smiles.

“We can have a happy reunion later but right now we need to find Virgil!” Remy hissed.

The trio runs off, trying to find their friend.

Meanwhile, Virgil struggles against Deceit who has a hand placed securely on his mouth and the other around his waist, pinning his arms to his side.

Virgil had heard the yelling and tried to get out of his room, but just as he was going to open the door, Deceit had burst in.

“Come on Virgil!” Deceit orders, looking nervous.

“They’re coming for me, aren’t they?” Virgil says. “Good. Then I can leave.”

“No! You are not going anywhere!”

Deceit grabs him and forces Virgil out of his room.

“Mmmph!” Virgil complained.

“Ssh,” Deceit soothed. “Everything is going to be okay.”

Then everything went black.

Deceit caught Virgil in his arms, at least he can keep one of his treasures safe.

“LET HIM GO!” a voice demands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, see you to the next update!


	21. Chapter 20: Castles Made Of Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit thrusts his free hand towards Roman but Roman rolls out of the way. Another blast comes at him but he deflects it with his shield. Roman ducks behind a column, formulating a plan to get Virgil.
> 
> He slows his breath down, blocking out Remus’s voice reminding him of his lessons and practice fights. Reminding him to steady his breathing, to find a way out, to remain calm. 
> 
> “Come out Roman,” Deceit says. “You can’t fight or defeat me."
> 
> Roman reins in his anger at the words declared with such certainty.
> 
> Even though he hates to agree with Deceit, the wizard is right. Roman doesn’t have magic that can immobilize Deceit so that he can take Virgil and leave. Nor is he an alchemist who can use chemicals to muddle Deceit’s mind. He’s a undertrained warrior facing a well trained opponent who has his unconscious, and most likely, traumatized friend with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo friends! Rewatching Thomas's new video? I am too...and crying. And holy shit, I did not expect Let Me Be Your Shelter to get so many likes! So thank you!

Roman has no idea why he feels so strongly to protect Virgil from Deceit. So it’s more surprising to Roman than Deceit when Roman demands Virgil to be released.

A small part of him, a part that cares for Virgil than more than just an acquaintance, wants him to be safe. Roman supposes this Patton rubbing off on him.

Roman can faintly hear the sounds of Emile and Remy fighting Remus, trying desperately to find Virgil and Roman. Deceit stands still for a few moments before he chuckles softly.

“Well, this is a surprise,” Deceit smirks.

Roman tries to calm his frantic heartbeat as Deceit turns to see Roman standing a few feet away from him. He smiles at the younger boy as if he’s a child pouting and not a person wielding a sword and shield he stolen from Remus. Virgil is limp in the older sorcerer’s arms, shadows and purple fringe obscuring his face, but judging from the exhausted look on Deceit’s face, Virgil had put up a fight.

“Let him go Deceit,” Roman orders.

“Such loyalty to my Virgil, you could stay with us,” Deceit croons, smiling.

“No. I won’t stand by as you violate him,” Roman snaps. “You won’t ever hurt him again!”

Roman sees Deceit’s eyes harden in anger and exasperation. For a brief moment, Roman thinks that Deceit is going to lash out at him but Deceit merely sighs.

“I have apologized to Virgil,” Deceit said evenly. “I will never harm him in anyway ever again.”

“Then stop now. You’re hurting him, not protecting,” Roman says.

Deceit’s eyes flare with anger and annoyance. He moves Virgil to where he’s over Deceit’s back and holds him with only one hand. With the other Deceit ignites gold light in his hand. 

“I don’t have time for this Roman. Either you can come willingly or I can knock you out and take you with us,” Deceit says. “Your choice Roman.”

“Let go of my friend you bastard!” Roman snarls.

Deceit thrusts his free hand towards Roman but Roman rolls out of the way. Another blast comes at him but he deflects it with his shield. Roman ducks behind a column, formulating a plan to get Virgil.

He slows his breath down, blocking out Remus’s voice reminding him of his lessons and practice fights. Reminding him to steady his breathing, to find a way out, to remain calm.

“Come out Roman,” Deceit says. “You can’t fight or defeat me."

Roman reins in his anger at the words declared with such certainty.

Even though he hates to agree with Deceit, the wizard is right. Roman doesn’t have magic that can immobilize Deceit so that he can take Virgil and leave. Nor is he an alchemist who can use chemicals to muddle Deceit’s mind. He’s a undertrained warrior facing a well trained opponent who has his unconscious, and most likely, traumatized friend with him.

Roman’s mind races with possibilities, letting Deceit ramble on as he tries to find a way to save his friend.

“Come out Roman, let’s get somewhere safe. Then we can go back the Sanders Kingdom and visit Thomas,” Deceit suggests in that soft, cold voice. “Your brother and I have wonderful plan for the Sanders Kingdom. We don’t want the Queen or her son dead, that would cause an uprising, something we don’t have time for. Something your late uncle didn’t realize which is why I allowed him to get caught.”

So Remus was telling the truth about why their uncle was caught and sentenced to death.

Fear rushes through Roman. If that’s what Deceit did to their uncle when he was displeased with what Roman’s uncle did, what would he do to Remus if Remus did something Deceit didn’t like? As Roman creeps around, dodging out of Deceit’s line of sight and listening to the yells that are coming closer.

“The monarchy can go about their way as long as they remember that we are the ones in charge. I respect the queen. She’s a good woman and knows her kingdom well; it will serve me no purpose to kill her or Thomas. Though your parents Remus has a personal vendetta against. Not that I blame him. They have stifled his creativity, forced him to be something he never wanted to be. So I will allow the deaths of your parents and I encourage you not to mourn over your parents for they would do the same thing to you. You will be safe here with me and Remus.”

Roman grits his teeth, holding back his anger and retort about how Remus and Deceit were no better than their parents who wanted the best for them as well. Roman head felt the tension rise between Remus and his parents ever since Remus killed his first person.

His family would argue and yell at each other last at night when they thought Roman was asleep, but Roman would wake up and listen to his parents berate Remus to act more humane to the prisoners and Remus would argue that the prisoners need to be punished. Whenever their uncle was there, he would gently say to Remus that the prisoners.

He has to get to the kingdom before Remus and Deceit so he can warn hisparents about Remus’s plans to murder them and Deceit’s plan to terrify and manipulate the monarchy.

Roman sheathes his sword before showing himself. The sword, though his favorite weapon, would only be a hindrance in this fight when he faces Deceit. Deceit smiles for a moment before seeing the determined, angry look.

“Now I hope you aren’t going to do anything foolish Roman,” Deceit drawls.

“Then let go of my friend,” Roman demands.

“Come with us.”

Roman runs towards Deceit, blocking all attacks with his shield. When he gets five feet away from Deceit, he throws his shield at Deceit’s legs, causing the man to tumble to the ground and Virgil rolls out of his grip. After going to collect his shield and slinging it across his back, Roman picks up Virgil and runs as fast as he can, taking advantage of Deceit’s confusion and dazed and hurt state.

Roman goes towards the noise of Remy and Emile fighting Remus. As he runs towards the noise, Virgil begins to stir.

“R-Roman?” Virgil manages.

“Hey there dark and stormy knight,” Roman answers.

“Where are we?”

“Still in Deceit’s place. Do you want me to put you down?”

“That would be great thanks.”

Roman ducks behind a pillar before setting Virgil down. Resting for a few moments, Virgil stands up.

“Do you have your powers?” Roman asks.

“Fortunately, yes. I managed to get the cuffs off,” Virgil answers.

“That’s good. Virgil are you-?”

“Let’s go find Remy and Emile and get the hell out of here,” Virgil says, cutting off the question.

Roman smiles and they run off to the loud voices

When they get near the sounds of fighting, both boys see that Remy is on the ground, struggling to get up and Emile fending off both Remus and Deceit. They stop behind Remus and Deceit. Remy notices them but doesn’t bring attention to it as he stands up and Emile grabs his fiancee’s hand.

“Stop touching my little brother alchemist,” Deceit snarls.

Roman sees Virgil tense up, ready to attack. Roman grabs Virgil and begins to formulate a plan.

“I’ll take Deceit. You get Remus,” Roman says.

“What? Why?” Virgil whispers as Deceit and Remy argue.

“Because they know how we fight but Remus has never fought against you at least not without Deceit’s help and I can surprise Deceit without using magic.”

“Fair point. Give me your sword though, I want to enchant it.”

Surprised, Roman hands it over. Virgil’s hands glow a dull purple, encasing the blade with the glow. Virgil hands back his sword.

“The attacks are now magic. You can absorb and deflect any magical attack sent your way,” Virgil explains.

“Thank you. Shall we?” Roman says, gesturing with his newly enchanted sword towards the fight.

“We shall.”

Both boys leap into action, Roman pushing Deceit away from Emile and Remy while Remus is blasted off his feet by Virgil’s magic.

“Clever,” Deceit compliments. “But your little tricks aren’t going to save you.”

“I think they will,” Remy answers, joining Roman in fighting Deceit while Emile joins fighting with Virgil.

The two men, now besieged by two opponents each quickly lose ground. With a final blast of energy coming from Remy and Virgil, knocking them out, the four run out of the castle. They burst open the doors, which thankfully have no magical protections or guards there waiting to stop them.

Once they get out of the castle and into the woods, they begin yelling questions at each other.

“Did you bring a horse?” Remy asks Emile as they duck branches and jump over roots.

“Why not use one of the ones back at the castle?” Roman asks, dodging a low hanging branch. 

“Because then Deceit and Remus can track us easier,” Virgil answers, stumbling over a root and cursing.

“It’s in the next town over, we should be able to make it by dusk!” Emile answers, gripping Remy’s hand tightly.

Virgil stumbles again and Roman grabs his hand instinctively. They lock eyes for a moment before letting go of each other.

“When do you think they’ll come after us?” Roman asks Remy.

“Well, they’ll wake up in a couple hours which is thirty minutes before dusk so we should have enough time to get to the Sanders Kingdom border before they catch up,” Remy answers. “You did ward the kingdom from being able to be teleported into, right?”

The question is directed at Emile who nods breathlessly.

“It was the first thing I did after we got the Lily to the castle.”

The four boys run in silence after that, managing to get to the town just as dusk is falling. They find the horse and cart Emile was using and clamber in.

As night begins to fall, the four ride to the Sanders Kingdom, the stars leading the way while the two older brothers who had their younger brothers stolen from them plotted to get them back and to annihilate anyone who got in their way.

Starting with Emile Picani.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Emile better watch out!  
Thank you once again for the positive response to Let Me Be Your Shelter!  
Some of you may have noticed, I am collaborating with R0gue_R0cket_g1rl on the fic Children Won't Listen, so go give that and this work a read, comment, and kudos if you haven't already!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! Don't worry, it'll all be explained and make sense soon.


End file.
